Humans sometimes feed live snakes to camels due to traditional folk remedies and rare opportunistic feeding behaviors, though it is not a normal part of their diet. In certain regions of the Middle East and parts of India, owners sometimes force camels to swallow a live venomous snake (such as a cobra) based on an old folk belief.
This practice sounds unbelievable, especially since camels are herbivores known for surviving harsh desert conditions for days without food or water. According to local beliefs, people believe that camels suffer from a mysterious illness or stiffness often referred to locally by names like Hayam.
When a camel contracts Hayam, it gradually stops eating and drinking. Its body becomes stiff, and symptoms like lethargy, fever, and anaemia start appearing. To treat this illness, locals use a traditional remedy: they place a live snake directly into the camel’s mouth. Locals believe that feeding a live snake helps neutralise the infection spreading inside the camel’s body.
In this traditional practice, locals pry open the camel’s mouth and place a live king cobra inside. They then give the animal water, so the snake moves into its stomach. Locals believe the venom circulates through the camel’s body and helps counter the disease. Those who follow the ritual claim the camel begins recovering within days.
Traditional practitioners think that triggering the snake’s venom inside the camel’s body acts as a shock treatment or cure that forces the animal to drink large amounts of water and stimulates its immune system to fight off disease.
Camels are strictly herbivores; their digestive systems are built for chewing tough desert plants, cacti, and thorns rather than hunting meat. While a camel’s tough mouth and hardy digestive tract mean it can occasionally ingest a snake without immediately dying from the venom, the practice is a human-driven folk tradition rather than a natural biological need.
Veterinarians and animal experts state that there is no scientific proof that feeding snakes to camels cures any disease, and the practice can actually be dangerous or fatal. With limited research available on the disease, experts believe Hayam may result from insect bites or infections, which, if left untreated, can be fatal—especially for pregnant camels, who may suffer miscarriages or even death. Doctors classify the “snake treatment” as a cultural tradition rather than a scientifically proven cure.
In rare wild instances where an herbivore eats a small animal or a snake, it is typically an opportunistic response to a severe lack of specific minerals or extreme hunger—not a regular dietary habit.
Content for this question contributed by Cori Bartlett, resident of Pilot Rock, Umatilla County, Oregon, USA
