Scorpion venom ‘brings $10 million per liter’

ŞANLIURFA

A liter of scorpion venom, used in pharmaceutical and defense industries, is sold for $10 million, says a man who owns a breeding laboratory that houses 15,000 scorpions in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa.

Metin Örenler, the owner of the scorpion “farm,” raises and milks “androctonus crassicauda” scorpions, which are native to the southeastern Anatolia region and whose venom acts as an antidote in all scorpion and snake bites in the world.

Örenler and his team established a facility with the capacity to raise 50,000 scorpions with permission from the ministries in 2000, and it houses around 15,000 scorpions currently.

Following the establishment, about 100 maternal scorpions were collected from nature and bred, Örenler stated, adding that they have started milking in the last few months.

The venom is used for the pharmaceutical sector, weapon defense systems, cancer treatment, production of painkillers and anesthesia, Örenler said, underlining that a liter of the venom is sold for $10 million.

Pointing out that they sell the venom to the world but especially to Turkish customers, he stated that there is an increasing demand from countries around the globe.

He said they sent analysis reports to some countries, which immediately gave positive feedback.

“That is our job, which is not preferred by many people. The most expensive liquid in the world is scorpion venom. You can use the antidote we produce here against snake bites in Africa. This is a feature that other scorpions in the world do not have,” he explained.

Noting that the milking process is dangerous and complicated, Örenler stated that it is necessary to feed the scorpion in the same way it is fed in the natural environment.

“If you milk too much, you will kill the scorpion. If you do less, you can’t get the venom,” Örenler explained, noting they aim to reach 30,000 scorpions next year.