Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

A new job on hand for Irulas

P. Oppili

AIIMS, New Delhi has sought scorpion venom for research purposes AIIMS, New Delhi has sought the venom for research

VENOM EXTRACTION: A mild electric stimulus being used on a red scorpion at the Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society at Vadanemmeli on East Coast Road on Thursday. — Photo: N. Sridharan

CHENNAI: The Irula Snake Catchers' Industrial Cooperative Society, hitherto involved in extracting snake venom, has started work on scorpion venom extraction. The venom is used for making anti-venom serum for scorpion sting .

The Society, functioning in the Madras Crocodile Bank premises at Vadanemmeli village on East Coast Road, south of Chennai, has 250 Irula members.

They collect red scorpions from palm trees, says the Society secretary S. Dravida Mani.

Though the Society was involved in scorpion venom extraction for almost a decade now, only last year did the organisation receive a request from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, for a sizeable quantity of venom for research.

Rs.5 for insect

The Society then asked each of its members to collect 50 scorpions for which they get paid Rs. 5 an insect. The members brought in 11,400 scorpions.

Venom extraction began last month, though the Society has so far extracted only 4.440 grams.

The insect is given a six-volt electric stimulus forcing it to discharge a small drop of venom into a bottle.

More orders

After extraction, the scorpions are released back into the same habitat. Apart from the AIIMS, a few vaccine-manufacturing companies have placed orders with the Society.

Mr. Dravida Mani says a red scorpion's sting on an adult can be more painful than that of a snake. For children below 10 years, it can prove fatal.

With vaccine manufacturers evincing interest, the export of the venom can greatly benefit the Irula community, says Mr. Mani.

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