Visit the home of extremely venomous snakes on Phu Quoc Island

Trai ran Dong Tam 2 (chi nhanh cua Trai ran Dong Tam o Tien Giang, thuoc Cuc Hau Can - Ky thuat, Quan Khu 9) o xa Duong To, TP Phu Quoc bat dau khai thac hoi thang 6.2018.

Dong Tam 2 Snake Farm (a branch of Dong Tam Snake Farm in Tien Giang, under the Department of Logistics and Technology, Military Region 9) in Duong To commune, Phu Quoc city started exploitation in June 2018.

Khong chi la noi bao ton duoc lieu, nguon gene 2 loai ran doc quy hiem la ho mang, ho chua ma con la diem tham quan gay an tuong manh voi du khach.

Not only is it a place to preserve medicinal herbs and the gene source of two rare venomous snakes, the cobra and king cobra, but it is also a tourist attraction that leaves a strong impression on visitors.

Dai uy Nguyen Tan Loc - Phu trach chi nhanh Trai ran Dong Tam 2 Phu Quoc - cho biet, hang nam trai co lien ket cac truong hoc o Phu Quoc to chuc cac buoi ngoai khoa cho hoc sinh. Nguoi dan, du khach cung se duoc huong dan nhan dang tap tinh loai ran, phong tranh, so cuu ban dau khi bi ran can; tam quan trong cua nhung loai can bao ton gene.

Captain Nguyen Tan Loc - Head of Dong Tam 2 Snake Farm Phu Quoc Branch - said that every year the farm cooperates with schools in Phu Quoc to organize extracurricular activities for students. Locals and tourists will also be instructed on how to identify snakes' habits, how to prevent and give first aid when bitten by a snake; and the importance of species whose genes need to be preserved.

“Trai cung ho tro nhan dang so cuu can thiep cong tac chuyen mon cho nhung don vi la co so kham chua benh co nhu cau va cung cap huyet thanh cho tat ca benh vien, co so y te. Can bo nhan vien co kinh nghiem chuyen sau moi thuc hien cong viec lay noc ran”, anh Loc chia se.

“The camp also supports first aid identification and professional intervention for medical facilities in need and provides serum for all hospitals and medical facilities. Only staff with specialized experience can perform the work of removing snake venom,” Mr. Loc shared.

Khong chi lam cong tac chuyen mon Trai con ho tro de nguoi dan nhan biet cac loai ran dac trung o Phu Quoc de co nhung kien thuc ky nang sinh ton. Ho tro Trung tam y te, phong kham 1 so truong hop bi ran can dien bien nang. “Nhung ca nang thi chung toi lien he Trai o Tien Giang de cung nhau phoi hop chuyen sau ve chuyen mon ho tro benh nhan. Nam 2024 Trai da ho tro tren 50 truong hop bi ran doc can o Phu Quoc”, anh Loc thong tin.

Not only does the camp provide professional support, it also helps people identify the typical snake species in Phu Quoc to gain knowledge and survival skills. It supports medical centers and clinics in some severe snakebite cases. “For severe cases, we contact the camp in Tien Giang to coordinate in-depth professional support for patients. In 2024, the camp supported over 50 cases of venomous snakebites in Phu Quoc,” Mr. Loc informed.

Anh Nguyen Hoang Nam, doi pho quan ly tai trai ran va chi Tran Phuong Lieu nhan vien tai trai lam huong dan cho khach tham quan. Anh Nam cho hay, ngoai nuoi bao ton quy gene Trai con khai thac noc doc de bao che ra thuoc nhu Cobratoxan tri dau nhuc rat hieu qua.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Nam, deputy manager of the snake farm, and Ms. Tran Phuong Lieu, an employee at the farm, act as guides for visitors. Mr. Nam said that in addition to preserving the gene pool, the farm also exploits venom to make medicines such as Cobratoxan, which is very effective in treating pain.

Ran luc do (ran luc duoi do) duoc xep vao loai ran doc, cung la loai ran doc duy nhat de con.

The red-tailed green pit viper is classified as a venomous snake and is also the only venomous snake that gives birth.

Ran ho chua (ran ho may) la ran doc duoc xep vao sach do cua the gioi. 1gram noc doc co the giet chet 600 nguoi (co trong luong co the khoang 60kg).

The king cobra is a venomous snake listed in the world's Red Book. 1 gram of venom can kill 600 people (with a body weight of about 60kg).

Chi Tereza Machova, du khach den tu Czech chia se: “Day la trai nghiem thu vi voi toi khi den Phu Quoc. Toi da thu chup anh cung tran, thu cam con ran tren tay cam giac rat hoi hop nhung lai rat thu vi, hao hung. Ngoai ra chung toi cung xem bieu dien lay noc ran rat hay, noi day rat dang den tham”.

Ms. Tereza Machova - a tourist from the Czech Republic - shared: “This was an interesting experience for me when I came to Phu Quoc. I tried taking pictures with a python, tried holding the snake in my hand, it felt very nervous but also very interesting and exciting. In addition, we also watched a very interesting snake venom extraction performance, this place is worth visiting”.

Chi Le Thi Hong Tham - du khach den tu TPHCM - cho biet: “Ban than toi rat so ran nhung lan nay den tham trai ran la trai nghiem dac biet an tuong, lan dau tien thu cam con ran tren tay. Den Phu Quoc duoc gap go nhung nguoi lam cong tac cham soc nuoi ran, lay noc minh cam nhan su nguy hiem khi ho theo duoi cong viec nay va cang quy men tran trong hon cong tac cua ho”.

Ms. Le Thi Hong Tham - a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City - said: "I am very afraid of snakes, but this time visiting the snake farm was a particularly impressive experience, the first time I tried holding a snake in my hand. Coming to Phu Quoc, I met the people who work in snake care and breeding, and extracting venom, I felt the danger when they pursue this job and I appreciate their work even more."

Anh Loc cung thong tin: “Hang nam trai ran don khoang 30.000 du khach trong va ngoai nuoc den tham. Dinh huong sap toi se mo rong chuong trai, tang quy mo bay dan phuc vu cho cong tac bao ton va cung phuc vu cho khach tham quan muon den tim hieu”.

Mr. Loc also informed: “Every year, the snake farm welcomes about 30,000 domestic and foreign tourists. The upcoming orientation is to expand the barn, increase the size of the herd to serve conservation work and also serve visitors who want to come and learn.”