Local man earns money by catching snakes

KAYSERİ

A man who lives in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri catches snakes with his bare hands at a price tariff that varies depending on the length of the animal.

İsmail Kara, who lives in the district of Sarıoğlan and is known as the “snake hunter” in the region, has remedied residents’ fear of snakes in an unusual way.

Snakes began entering houses and gardens in the district as the summer season arrives and temperatures turn hot.

Fearful locals call Kara to remove the snakes from their houses, release them into their natural environment outside the district and in return receives 300 Turkish Liras ($44) per meter of the length of the animal.

The “hunter” claimed he spent his life in mountainous areas and knows the snake species and their names by heart.

Noting that he earns a lot of money because the demand for his service is “too high,” Kara states that he was also called from the surrounding provinces to remove snakes from gardens and houses.

“I make money from this but also save people from big trouble,” said Kara.