Snakehunt in Cambodia

2013 on ARTE, length: 52 & 43 min

In the rainy season, when the forests around the Tonlé Sap are flooded by water, many families leave their floating villages and set out to hunt water snakes.Up to 7 million water snakes are caught each year. They are cheap food for the hungry crocodiles that are bred in crocodile farms for their skin. But snakes are also dried and eaten by the Cambodians themselves.Fisherman Van Voth has been bringing up his 2 children since his wife died. 12 years ago, he was one the first to discover that snake hunting could be an alternative to fishing. Especially in the rainy season they are an easy catch. Today 50 % of the fishermen also hunt snakes in Tonlé Sap - but meanwhile the number of snakes is declining.