Snake Farm at Thelijjawila
More of a temporary board for non-venomous, mildly venomous and highly venomous snakes caught from the area than a fully-fledged snake farm which breeds snakes, Snake Farm is a small conservatory cum an Ayurveda treatment centre for snake poisoning operated by a father and son duo, who have had generations of experience in handling reptiles, especially the ones that can kill you in a whole number of excruciating and exciting ways.
Housed in a small space the conservatory can house 20-40 rescued snakes at any given time, ranging from innocent rat snakes to a highly venomous Russel’s viper. Almost all the snakes at the conservatory are temporary members, who have been rescued from neighbourhood houses and farmlands and are awaiting their turn to be relocated to a safer and more permanent habitat.
The safe keeper of the snakes and the son of the Ayurveda doctor takes time introducing visitors to the resident snakes available at the moment. While most of the snakes are benign and can be touched and handled with care by anyone; venomous snakes like cobras, vipers and constrictors require expert handling and visitors get the chance to view them from a safe distance in an open environment.
