The dense forests and rivers of Congo provide an ideal habitat for some of the world’s most venomous snakes, including cobras, mambas, and puff adders.
With its vast forests teeming with numerous snake species, the Democratic Republic of Congo is a hotspot for snakebite fatalities and injuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the non-governmental organization Doctors Without Borders emphasize that this issue has not received adequate attention in Africa. To reflect this reality, photographer Hugh Kinsella Cunningham has captured close-up images of some of the world’s deadliest snakes in this African nation and submitted them to the Pulitzer Crisis Reporting Center.
Fisherman Patrick Atelo holds a live mamba snake on the Ruki River. The snake was found near a village. Due to the high fatality rate associated with bites, local residents are very fearful of snakes and often kill them upon sight.
According to a recent report from WHO, 2.7 million people are affected by snake venom each year, resulting in 81,000 to 137,000 deaths along with many cases of permanent disability.
Years of war have devastated infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo, making antivenom supplies scarce or unavailable. Because venomous snakes typically inhabit rural areas, the lack of medical equipment can lead to many fatalities. Snakes often get caught in fishermen’s nets on the Congo River, prompting locals to check carefully to avoid mistakenly catching snakes.
Cunningham also captures close-up images of snakes, such as this forest cobra. “By keeping the environment quiet and remaining still on the ground, I can photograph portraits of the snakes from half a meter away,” Cunningham shares.
Francois Nsingi, a technician at the Antivenom Center, ensures that the most dangerous snakes remain calm. “The most impressive portrait photos are taken when the snake is focused on the camera lens,” Nsingi says.
Joel Botsuna, an assistant at the Congo Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) in the Equateur province, holds a deceased Jameson’s mamba. The snake was killed by local farmers the night before. Mamba snakes have extremely dangerous neurotoxic venom that can be fatal within just two hours of a bite.
A cobra caught in the fishing trap of fisherman Shadrack Ifomi. Ifomi has fished on the river his entire life and has been bitten by snakes several times, but those were small species. Working in lowland forests significantly increases the risk of snake bites, as both bush vipers and cobras are excellent at camouflage and can become agitated and attack when disturbed.
African puff adder.
Horned viper.
