Vietnam, Kobra auf dem Teller (360° - GEO Reportage)

In northern Vietnam, the residents of the village of Vinh Son share their lives with thousands of snakes. Many of the animals are highly venomous. The residents make a living from the dangerous reptile trade and are even proud of it. A film by Julien Hamelin © 2014, Licensed by MedienKontor / ARTE Season 15 - Episode 10 Subscribe to wocomoTRAVEL: https://goo.gl/tIk2Qc Follow us on Facebook:   / wocomo   Press release: In the small Vietnamese village of Vinh Son, a large portion of the residents make a living from snake breeding: Cobras, banded rat snakes, and even the extremely large and venomous king cobras are kept and sold here – mostly to neighboring China. The chairman of the local breeding association, Kim Van Hoc, was one of the first to develop this lucrative business during the communist era. Now he wants to hand over his position to the next generation. 360° - GEO Reportage accompanied him and approximately 200 snakes through their daily lives. About one in three villagers in Vinh Son is afraid of snakes. No wonder – they live by the dozen in almost every backyard! At least, that's the estimate of Kim Van Trung, who, like so many others in the village, breeds snakes to sell to Vietnamese gourmet restaurants and to China. Business is booming, especially since the middle class has grown in Vietnam and more and more people can afford to eat snake on their plates. Therefore, no villager wants to miss out on the profits made from the animals. The chairman of the local breeding association is Kim Van Hoc, now 75 years old. He began breeding in the village in the late 1970s and encouraged friends and neighbors to follow suit. Today, the village is considered Vietnam's number one snake producer. The animals are used for various medicines, snake wine, and dishes. But now Kim Van Trung wants to step down and look for a successor. Only, no one wants to take up the legacy. Neither Kim's own sons nor any other breeder are involved. The traces Kim leaves behind seem too great. Even the mayor, who is one of the few in the village to breed the highly dangerous king cobras, is reluctant to give up his longtime advisor and companion.