Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. No. 81522. Conservation status: extinct.

The last known remaining thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, died in captiv...

A newly constructed Turkish border wall snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing numbers of Afghans from illegally crossin...

A newly constructed Turkish border wall snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing numbers of Afghans from illegally crossin...

A newly constructed Turkish border wall snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing numbers of Afghans from illegally crossin...

Turkish Jandarma forces operating along a newly constructed border wall which snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing num...

Turkish Jandarma forces operating along a newly constructed border wall which snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing num...

Turkish Jandarma forces operating along a newly constructed border wall which snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing num...

Turkish Jandarma forces operating along a newly constructed border wall which snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing num...

Turkish Jandarma forces operating along a newly constructed border wall which snakes through the mountains along the border with Iran. It has been built as part of an attempt to prevent increasing num...

A white-lipped green pit viper belonging to a member of EXALOS (Exotic Animal Lovers), a group of enthusiasts who catch, rehabilitate and release snakes found in people's homes, and who do community e...

Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani, and members of EXALOS (Exotic Animal Lovers), an enthusiast and education group who catch, rehabilitate and release snakes found in people's h...

People watching a mangrove snake in the hands of Danang Kurniawan at a snakebite awareness and first aid education meeting presented by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani, and me...

A non-venomous snake in the hands of Danang Kurniawan at a snakebite awareness and first aid education meeting presented by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani, and members of EXA...

Janu Wahyu Widodo using a white-lipped green pit viper to demonstrate one way of trapping a snake at a snakebite awareness and first aid education meeting presented by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr....

Janu Wahyu Widodo using a white-lipped green pit viper to demonstrate how to safely pick up a snake at a snakebite awareness and first aid education meeting presented by Indonesian snakebite expert, D...

Kus Hariyanto in his family's kitchen at their home on the outskirts of Surabaya. He was almost blinded by a spitting cobra that appeared amongst the dishes on the rack behind him. Fearing for his you...

A spitting cobra on display at a snakebite envenomation presentation for medical professionals by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani. Snakes were brought by members of MARET (Mam...

A MARET (Mammal Reptile Tangerang) patch on a member's arm at a snakebite envenomation presentation for medical professionals by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani. Snakes were b...

A participant gingerly reaches out to touch a python (a non-venomous constrictor) on display at a snakebite envenomation presentation for medical professionals by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri...

A python (a non-venomous constrictor) on display at a snakebite envenomation presentation for medical professionals by Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr. Maha' Maharani. Snakes were brought by...

A cage containing spitting cobras as well as other venomous and non-venomous snakes on the front porch at the home of Samijan, a traditional healer. Samijan specialises in snake potions containing sna...

Farmer, Amiono, working in a cornfield on the outskirts of Kediri. Field and forest workers in places like this are susceptible to snakebite, as according to Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr....

Farmer, Amiono, working in a cornfield on the outskirts of Kediri. Field and forest workers in places like this are susceptible to snakebite, as according to Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri 'Dr....

A man tows a trailor loaded with irrigation equipment on a road between cornfields on the outskirts of Kediri. Field and forest workers in places like this are susceptible to snakebite, as according t...

Samijan, a traditional healer, holding a desiccated snake carcass at his home in Kediri. He specialises in herbal potions that feature cobra blood, bile and spinal cord amongst other ingredients. Acco...

Samijan, a traditional healer, showing a powder containing dried snakes and geckos along with roots and herbs at his home in Kediri. The powder is sold for use in Chinese medicine. Samijan specialises...

Snake enthusiast, Mohammed Nur Chosim (32) with one of his pet pythons and cages of rodents, at his home in Kediri. Chosim was bitten on the hand by a friend's spitting cobra during a handling acciden...

A pet python, and cages of rodents, belonging to snake enthusiast, Mohammed Nur Chosim (32) with his pet pythons at his home in Kediri. Chosim was bitten on the hand by a friend's spitting cobra durin...

Snake enthusiast, Mohammed Nur Chosim (32) with his pet pythons at his home in Kediri. Chosim was bitten on the hand by a friend's spitting cobra during a handling accident at a carnival in 2017. He s...

Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri Maharani, examines Hendik Maret Diasto at Marsudi Waluyo Hospital where he is being treated for a snake bite. Diasto was bitten on the ankle while he and his broth...

Indonesian snakebite expert, Dr. Tri Maharani, examines Hendik Maret Diasto at Marsudi Waluyo Hospital where he is being treated for a snake bite. Diasto was bitten on the ankle while he and his broth...

Nurse Indri Hastani, also the patient's sister, removes a bandage from a splint on Hendik Maret Diasto's leg at Marsudi Waluyo Hospital where he is being treated for a snake bite. Diasto was bitten on...

A dose of Tramadol, a painkiller, being injected into Hendik Maret Diasto's intravenous drip bag at Marsudi Waluyo Hospital where he is being treated for a snake bite. Diasto was bitten on the ankle w...

Hendik Maret Diasto at the Marsudi Waluyo Hospital where he is being treated for a snake bite. Diasto was bitten on the ankle while he and his brother were hunting palm civets for sport in a forest ab...

Dr. Ariesza Permata was bitten on the arm by a White-Lipped Green Pit Viper as she opened a grill door from her bedroom onto a porch at her family's home. Approximately a month before being bitten, sh...

A street vendor at a night market selling cooked snacks such as spiders and snakes.

Polyvalent antivenom in a fridge in Thea Litschka-Koen's office at the Simunye Club, one of several facilities she manages. The antivenom is effective against black mamba, snouted cobra, rinkhals and...

Mdududzi Gcina (14) near his home close to Big Bend. When he was four he was bitten on both arms by a Mozambique spitting cobra while sleeping. It took several operations to save his arms. He and his...

A participant learning how to catch and secure a snouted cobra, one of the seven most dangerous snakes in eSwatini, at a snakebite first aid and snake handling course for road construction company sta...

Prophet Robert Malambe, a faith healer, in the room where he sees clients at his home in Lomahasha in the Lubombo Region. He claims he can heal snakebite victims with prayer and traditional medicine m...

Participants learning how to catch and secure a snouted cobra, one of the seven most dangerous snakes in eSwatini, at a snakebite first aid and snake handling course for road construction company staf...

A puff adder, one of the seven most dangerous snakes in eSwatini, being coaxed back into a transportation tube at a snakebite first aid and snake handling course for road construction company staff de...

Medicines at the home of Norman Ngcamphalala, a traditional healer. He claims to be able to heal all snakebites. He asserts, however, that the black mamba is the only really dangerous snake, and that...

Thea Litschka-Koen demonstrating one method of safely catching and securing a rinkhals, one of the seven most dangerous snakes in eSwatini, at a snakebite first aid and snake handling course for road...

Participants learning how to use snake tongs at a snakebite first aid and snake handling course for road construction company staff delivered by Thea Litschka-Koen and her husband, Clifton Koen, in th...

Thea Litschka-Koen delivering a snakebite first aid and snake handling course to road construction company staff in the Lubombo Region. Thea Litschka-Koen's involvement with snakes began after one of...

Goodwill Msibi thanking Thea Litschka-Koen after she and Bongani Bheki Myeni, a snake catcher she trained, caught a black mamba found in an outbuilding at Msibi's father's homestead in the village of...

Thea Litschka-Koen and Bongani Bheki Myeni securing a black mamba, estimated to be 2.5m long, that they had just caught in an outbuilding at a homestead in the village of Lukhula. Litschka-Koen traine...

Thea Litschka-Koen surveying the interior of an outbuilding in which a black mamba had been seen at a homestead in the village of Lukhula. After first ensuring that the snake was not in the rafters, L...

An outbuilding in which a black mamba had been seen at a homestead in the village of Lukhula.

Morris Phakuli (40), who fell asleep while drunk under a tree and awoke to find himself bleeding from the eye. A relative found a snake in his blankets, and they believe he was spat at by a Mozambique...

Bongani Bheki Myeni carefully searching the kitchen of a remote rural home for a suspected black mamba. As even a large mamba can hide in a very small space, pots, pans, drawers, the oven, the chassis...

A participant recoils at the sight of a live snake during a snakebite first aid and safety course delivered to municipal workers by Thea Litschka-Koen.

Joanna Wolverson (38) holding a vial of polyvalent antivenom from the reserves of the Malkerns Antivenom Bank. The treatment is effective against black mamba, snouted cobra, rinkhals and puff adder ve...

Snake and snakebite expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, examining the hand of Qiniso Sihlonganyane (36) at the RFM Hospital. Sihlonganyane had been bitten on the hand by a Mozambique spitting cobra while asle...

The bandaged arm of Qiniso Sihlonganyane (36) at RFM Hospital. He had been bitten on the hand by a Mozambique spitting cobra while asleep at his home in Nhlambanyane, and required surgery to remove ne...

The gauze-packed wound of a nineteen year-old man who had been bitten on the ankle by a Mozambique spitting cobra while asleep at his home is revealed at a health centre where he was being treated. Ac...

A puff adder being milked by Barend Bloem of South Africa's Lowveld Venom Suppliers in the living room of snake expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, at her home near Mhlume. Litschka-Koen had invited the compa...

A black mamba being milked by Barend Bloem of South Africa's Lowveld Venom Suppliers in the living room of snake expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, at her home near Mhlume. Litschka-Koen had invited the comp...

Snake hooks and tongs at the home of snake expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, near Mhlume. Litschka-Koen temporarily keeps and milks a collection of highly-venomous snakes including snouted cobras, Mozambiqu...

A puff adder eating a rat in its enclosure at the home of snake expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, near Mhlume. Litschka-Koen temporarily keeps and milks a collection of highly-venomous snakes including snou...

Britain Watts (49), the chef at the Simunye Club in Simunye, readying rats to feed to a collection of venomous snakes in the garage of his boss, snake expert Thea Litschka-Koen. Watts began helping Li...

Snake and snakebite expert, Thea Litschka-Koen, and Britain Watts, releasing a python near the Sand River Reservoir. It had been found in a pump house on a nearby sugarcane estate. In addition to ha...

Thea Litschka-Koen catching a puff adder that had entered a mens toilet at a fertiliser production factory in Simunye. Thea Litschka-Koen's involvement with snakes began after one of her sons had to...

A team signing a safety register before beginning work and setting a sugarcane field afire on a Royal Swaziland Sugar Corporation sugarcane plantation in Simunye. All personnel sign before and after t...

Bongani Bheki Myeni and Thea Litschka-Koen calmly looking under her desk as a highly venomous twig snake briefly escaped Myeni while its enclosure was being cleaned in Litschka-Koen's office at the Si...

Dennis Plain, the species-at-risk technician for the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, holds a garter snake caught in his nation's territory where rare species of snakes have been found. Plain documents the p...

People travelling by canoe (pirogue) patiently wait for a barge to pass their village. When barges go past, locals approach and try to sell their wares, monkeys, snakes, fish etc which they've caught...

Stevenson Ochoya (15) who suffers from Nodding Syndrome and epilepsy. His first seizures started when he was nine years old, in 2007. On his first stroke, he had an attack, his whole body was shaken w...

A young Bede (Beday) girl. The Bede are a nomadic people who live, travel, and earn their living on rivers, which has given them the name of 'Water Gypsies' or 'River Gypsies'. Many of the Bedes make...

A young Bede (Beday) girl. The Bede are a nomadic people who live, travel, and earn their living on rivers, which has given them the name of 'Water Gypsies' or 'River Gypsies'. Many of the Bedes make...

A young Bede (Beday) girl near a river. The Bede are a nomadic people who live, travel, and earn their living on rivers, which has given them the name of 'Water Gypsies' or 'River Gypsies'. Many of th...

A young Bede (Beday) girl. The Bede are a nomadic people who live, travel, and earn their living on rivers, which has given them the name of 'Water Gypsies' or 'River Gypsies'. Many of the Bedes make...

Men carrying snakes and lizards rung on the practice area during a wretser's training session.

A Kilombero Plantations Limited (KPL) security guard holds the body of a dead cobra. The snakes are a problem in the fields as workers get bitten and, despite their complaints, are not supplied with p...

Chefs prepare dishes in a kitchen at a 'wildlife' restaurant in Mong La. Different kinds of live animals ranging from snakes and pangolins to turtles and others are kept in cages in front of the wildl...

A cook tastes a dish in a kitchen at a restaurant in Mong La. Different kinds of live animals ranging from snakes and pangolins to turtles and others are kept in cages in front of the wildlife restaur...

Snakes, pangolins and other animals rest on the floor in cages in front of a so-called 'wildlife' restaurant in Mong La. They are available as dishes inside the restaurant. The town of Mong La on the...

A group of Chinese tourists drink and dine at a restaurant in Mong La. Different kinds of live animals ranging from snakes and pangolins to turtles and others are kept in cages in front of the wildlif...

Chutima, 57, has a toilet and bathroom just outside her house in the slum district of Ding Dang. 'It's hard not to be scared of strangers at night but, so far, I have been safe. My main worry is with...

Chutima, 57, has a toilet and bathroom just outside her house in the slum district of Ding Dang. 'It's hard not to be scared of strangers at night but, so far, I have been safe. My main worry is with...

A waterway snakes its way through the frozen tundra below seen from an airplane. Norilsk, some 400 kms above the arctic circle, is not accessible by road or railway. It can only be accessed by waterwa...

18 year old Rose Razanajaona peels a maize cob in a field in her village of Ambohimahatsinjo. She says: 'There is a difference between girls and boys at my age, men are stronger than me as a girl, but...

18 year old Rose Razanajaona struggles with a heavy jerry can on one of her many journeys to collect water. She says: 'There is a difference between girls and boys at my age, men are stronger than me...

18 year old Rose Razanajaona struggles with a heavy jerry can on one of her many journeys to collect water. She says: 'There is a difference between girls and boys at my age, men are stronger than me...

18 year old Rose Razanajaona struggles with a heavy jerry can on one of her many journeys to collect water. She says: 'There is a difference between girls and boys at my age, men are stronger than me...

18 year old Rose Razanajaona's feet, dusty and scared from many journeys to collect water. She says: 'There is a difference between girls and boys at my age, men are stronger than me as a girl, but I...

A man holds a Jameson's Mamba, one of the most venomous snakes in Africa.

A Thelotornis Kirtlandii (twig snake, vine snake) slithers in the branches of a tree. A long, very thin tree snake, with an arrow-shaped head, it is diurnal and secretive waiting motionless in the bra...

A Thelotornis Kirtlandii (twig snake, vine snake) held in a trap. A long, very thin tree snake, with an arrow-shaped head, it is diurnal and secretive waiting motionless in the branches of trees and b...