Cover image via Douyin
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Instead of a desk job, a woman in China is helping her family manage over 60,000 venomous snakes, generating more than 1 million yuan (RM581,000) annually
While most university graduates look for standard office jobs, Qin chose a much more slithery career path.
The 31-year-old returned to her hometown in Guilin, China, to help her father manage a massive operation involving the venomous snakes.
She oversees a collection of 50,000 five-step snakes — a highly venomous pit viper species — and nearly 10,000 cobras
According to HK01, the daily routine is high-stakes: Qin must force-feed the reptiles and handle them with extreme precision to avoid fatal encounters.
Initially, her father opposed her joining the family trade because he believed it was far too dangerous for her. However, as the farm expanded and the workload became too much for him, she eventually stepped in to help.
Qin explained that the business is surprisingly lucrative, supplying the medical research and traditional medicine sectors
Products such as dried snake, snake oil, and snake gallbladders are in high demand among various buyers.
Extracted venom alone sells for between 40 yuan (RM23) and 200 yuan (RM116) per gram, depending on the quality. Meanwhile, the meat of a single large snake can fetch more than 1,000 yuan (RM580).
After deducting labour and other costs, the business generates an annual income of more than 1 million yuan (RM580,000).
Qin also documents her experiences as "The Girl Who Collects Snake Venom" for her 22,000 online followers.
Despite her financial success, Qin is candid about the physical risks involved. She described the pain of a snakebite from a five-step snake as being so intense that a victim would remember it for a lifetime.
"If someone who raises snakes tells you they are not afraid of being bitten, there is only one possibility: They have never been bitten," Qin said.
She added that the main symptom is a localised pain so severe that it can radiate throughout the entire body.
One of her followers even claimed that the pain was so unbearable they would rather undergo amputation than experience it again.
Qin's story has left netizens stunned by her bravery and her willingness to master such a terrifying trade.
