{
  "id": 11561849,
  "title": "World’s first international snake congress held in Kandy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/worlds-first-international-snake-congress-held-in-kandy",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-02T23:45:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Island Sri Lanka",
    "slug": "the-island-sri-lanka",
    "url": "http://island.lk/worlds-first-international-snake-congress-held-in-kandy/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nearly 10,000 snakebite incidents are reported each year in Sri Lanka, resulting in hundreds of fatalities from snakebite-related complications, according to experts. The inaugural four-day World Congress on Snakes 2026, held at the Grand Kandyan Hotel in Kandy, brought together over 400 scholars, researchers, environmentalists, herpetologists, and field experts from 42 countries. The theme of the conference, \"Snakes, Science, Species Survival & Sri Lanka,\" focused on numerous aspects of snakes, including their biology, diversity, conservation, and medical research. Globally, snakebites claim around 138,000 lives annually, leaving many survivors with permanent disabilities, such as limb loss, disfigurement, kidney failure, and severe psychological trauma. Sri Lanka, too, grapples with a significant snakebite burden, with nearly 10,000 cases reported annually. However, experts emphasized that most of Sri Lanka's snake species are harmless, with only a small fraction posing a serious medical threat. The conference will also address the growing threats to snake populations, including habitat loss, agricultural expansion, urbanisation, climate change, and extreme weather events that have increased encounters between wildlife and human communities. Environment Minister Dammika Patabendi, the Congress' patron, urged the event to generate practical knowledge that could safeguard both human lives and wildlife. Sri Lanka, the United States, and Australia were among the main partners of the Congress, alongside experts from India, Bhutan, Australia, Germany, Pakistan, Poland, Malaysia, and several other nations. During the inaugural session, government officials such as Central Province Governor Specialist Dr. Harsh Suranga Fernando, Kandy Mayor Chandrasiri Wijenayaka, and MP Jagath Manuwarna attended. The event will culminate in the launch of eight books on snakes and the issuance of a commemorative stamp by the Department of Posts. The organizers emphasized that the Congress would serve as a platform for researchers and practitioners to exchange scientific knowledge and devise practical measures for snake conservation, biodiversity protection, and mitigating the impact of snakebites on communities.",
  "summary": "Text and Pic By S. K. Samaranayake Nearly 10,000 snakebite cases are reported in Sri Lanka annually, with hundreds of people dying from snakebite-related complications, experts said as the world’s first international congress dedicated to snakes got underway in Kandy yesterday. The four-day 1st World Congress on Snakes – 2026, held under the theme “Snakes, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}