Snake fight: villagers in Thailand stage battles with king cobras

The strange custom of fighting snakes began when a herb farmer began putting on shows to attract customers to the village, and the art of breeding and training snakes has been nurtured ever since.

King cobras are common in Thailand and many families keep them in boxes under their houses.

The deadly reptiles can often be seen slithering across the dusty streets when they are not being provoked into fighting.

Villagers proudly point out that they no longer keep chickens and ducks in their houses as the snakes tend to kill other livestock.

With no doctor or pharmacy nearby, herbal medicines produced by mixing crushed leaves and lemon juice are the only treatment for those unlucky enough to get bitten. Three villagers died last year alone in organised snake fights.

The king cobras venom paralyses its victims nervous system, normally killing a man within 15 minutes.