giant snails invade the state of Kerala

In India, villagers have met in the middle of the night to overcome a scourge that has been ravaging their lives for several years. For three hours, women and men, equipped with flashlights on their foreheads, will search each bush and inspect the ground in order to capture snails. “At night, with a lamp, it’s easier to find them. Near the papaya leaves, there are a lot of them”says a man.

This seemingly harmless snail has become their worst nightmare. “They eat all our vegetables, all our crops. We can’t grow anything anymore, because they eat everything, even the roots”explains a woman.

For the eighth consecutive year, the state of Kerala, in southern India, is in the grip of one of the worst disasters in its history. Snails invade plantations, houses and gardens, ravaging everything in their path. They can measure up to 20 cm long. Once a month, a local elected official even distributes rewards to the inhabitants who hunt snails.