The dark, cruel truth behind snake-skin accessories
Yahoo!7 March 4, 2014, 12:45 pm
Designer snakeskin clothing is one of the most desirable products you can get in the fashion world.
But behind the luxury accessories lies a dark truth.
Snakes are killed by the thousands, then skinned at slaughterhouses in ways that have been labelled cruel and outdated, the Daily Mail reported.
These dark scenes can be seen in the Indonesian factories, like the one pictured in this article.
First the snake is stunned with a blow to the back of the head before a hose is shoved down its throat.
It's then filled with water, swelling up like a balloon. It then has a leather cord tied around its neck to hold the water in, and left for ten minutes.
The snake skins are put in an oven to dry while the rest of the snake is tossed into a pile. Photo: Getty Images
The workers then impale the snake's head on a metal hoot and slice off the now-loosened skin with a few rough tugs.
The skin is then placed in a hot oven to dry out, where it naturally curls.
The rest of the snake is tossed onto a pile of other, similarly-skinned animals where it is left to die of dehydration or shock in incredible pain.
Piles of these snakes can be seen strewn across the floor in different\ conditions, depending on their point in the production process.
The skins are also left in the sun to colour, and dyed to match a bag's requirements. Photo: Getty Images
The whole brutal process costs these factories a measly $US15-30 to produce a designer bag, depending on the size.
However, they can be sold for up to $4000 in designer stores.
