A snake is seen while a tract of the Amazon jungle burns as it is cleared by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, Brazil August 24, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

A snake is seen while a tract of the Amazon jungle burns as it is cleared by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, Brazil August 24, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

A snake is seen while a tract of the Amazon jungle burns as it is cleared by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, Brazil August 24, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

A snake is seen while a tract of the Amazon jungle burns as it is cleared by loggers and farmers in Porto Velho, Brazil August 24, 2019. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino

A white-lipped pit viper snake is seen at a fire station in Bangkok, Thailand, August 7, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun SEARCH "SNAKE CATCHER" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Archaeological artefacts in the shape of snakes are seen outside the tomb of Khufu-Imhat, at the Saqqara area near its necropolis, in Giza, Egypt November 10, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

A voodoo box is seen during the presentation of confiscated stuffed wild animals and products used by shamans in Lima, Peru July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo

National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) and Peruvian police show confiscated wild stuffed animals and products used by shamans in Lima, Peru July 19, 2018. REUTERS/Guadalupe Pardo

A mural with the axe and serpent logotype of ETA is displayed on a wall in Bermeo, Spain February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent West

A mural with the axe and serpent logotype of ETA is displayed on a wall in Bermeo, Spain February 24, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent West

A sign is displayed at the entrance to the Tasting Room at Petersons Winery in the Hunter Valley, located north of Sydney in Australia, February 14, 2018. Picture taken February 14, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray

A snake breeder holds a ball python in Assagay, South Africa, December 8, 2017. REUTERS/Rogan Ward

A snake crawls along the flooded area at Saptari District, Nepal August 14, 2017. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A woman walks past a mural depicting the serpent and axe emblem of armed Basque separatists ETA, with "Bietan Jarrai" ("To continue both") written below, in the Basque port town of Bermeo, northern Spain March 20, 2017. REUTERS/Vincent West

A sculpture of Nagas, or serpent deities, is seen at the entrance of Haw Pha Bang Buddhist temple in Luang Prabang, Laos July 31, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SEARCH "LUANG" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

One long night every year in a mountainous rainforest in Venezuela, hundreds gather to dance on red-hot embers, enter trance-like states, and worship an ancient goddess known as Maria Lionza. Those who travel to the mountain known as Sorte in central Venezuela are practitioners of a cult that is built on local indigenous traditions. Followers say its rituals heal pain and can even cure disease. Legend holds that Maria Lionza, the daughter of an indigenous chief and a European colonizer, battled a massive anaconda until the serpent exploded - causing torrential rains that are typical of the jungle surrounding the Sorte mountain. Spiritual rituals that combine Roman Catholic teachings with African and indigenous legends are routinely practiced side-by-side with Christianity, primarily by Venezuela's working class. Santeria, a religion native to the Caribbean that combines the Yoruba traditions of West African slaves with Catholic teachings of Spanish colonizers, is also popular among those seeking spiritual guidance outside the Catholic church. REUTERS/Marco Bello SEARCH "SANTERIA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A float of St. Patrick and a serpent during the St. Patrick's day parade in Dublin, Ireland March 17, 2016. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, with a snake wrapped on his neck sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 7, 2016. Hindu holy men from Nepal and India come to this temple to take part in the Maha Shivaratri festival. Celebrated by Hindu devotees all over the world, Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and holy men mark the occasion by praying, smoking marijuana or smearing their bodies with ashes. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, holds a snake as he sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 7, 2016. Hindu holy men from Nepal and India come to this temple to take part in the Maha Shivaratri festival. Celebrated by Hindu devotees all over the world, Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and holy men mark the occasion by praying, smoking marijuana or smearing their bodies with ashes. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

A Hindu holy man, or sadhu, holding a snake sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple during the Shivaratri festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 7, 2016. Hindu holy men from Nepal and India come to this temple to take part in the Maha Shivaratri festival. Celebrated by Hindu devotees all over the world, Shivaratri is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and holy men mark the occasion by praying, smoking marijuana or smearing their bodies with ashes. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

Actor Antonio Bolivar of Colombia's Best Foreign Language Film nominee "Embrace of the Serpent" arrives at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 28, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Antonio Bolivar of Best Foreign Language Film nominee "Embrace of the Serpent," arrives at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 28, 2016. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Ciro Guerra (L), director of Colombia's Best Foreign Language Film nominee "Embrace of the Serpent," arrives with Antonio Bolivar (3rd from L) and guests at the 88th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California February 28, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

A Green Tree Python is seen in Augsburg's zoo, Germany, January 31, 2016. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle

A Gadsden flag flies at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Oregon, January 10, 2016. Members of self-styled militia groups met on Friday with armed protesters occupying the federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, pledging support for their cause, if not their methods, and offering to act as a peace-keeping force in the week-long standoff over land rights. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

Peruvian shamans, holding a figure of Nino Jesus (Child Jesus) and a snake, perform a ritual at the Rimac river to fight the negative effects of the Nino weather phenomena over Nature, in Lima, October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo

Peruvian shamans holding a figure of a Nino Jesus (Child Jesus) and a snake perform a ritual at the Rimac river to fight the negative effects of the Nino weather phenomena over Nature, in Lima, October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A member of the Lebanese Army's airborne regiment eats snakes during a live drill, held as part of a weapons exhibition during the Security Middle East Show in Beirut, as a sandstorm engulfed Lebanon for a second day September 9, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

A snake is seen at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Customers look at a snake at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A customer holds a snake at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A customer holds a snake at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A snake is seen at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A customer touches a snake as she poses for a photo at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Customers take photos of a snake at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A snake is seen at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A customer chooses snakes at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A customer holds a snake as she poses for a photo at the Tokyo Snake Center, a snake cafe, in Tokyo's Harajuku shopping district August 14, 2015. The cafe has on display 35 non-venomous snakes of 20 different breeds. Open six days a week, the cafe allows customers to enjoy food and beverages while watching a small snake slither around in a cage on their table for a 1,000 yen (8.04 dollars). By paying an additional fee, customers get to hold and pet the snake. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

A former paratrooper poses for a picture with a python during celebrations for the Paratroopers Day at the Central park in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia, August 2, 2015. The holiday, which marks the 85th anniversary of the foundation of state paratroopers troops, has been annually celebrated since the Soviet era till today. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin

A customs officer presents a confiscated spirit bottle with a snake inside during a presentation of the German customs at Dusseldorf Airport, Germany June 25, 2015. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

Gigantor, a deadly Australian Eastern Brown Snake, is milked for its venom by handler Billy Collett at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby north of Sydney, January 21, 2015. Measured at an unusually-long two metres (6 feet), Gigantor was found in a suburban backyard in Sydney, is the second-most venomous snake in the world and is now regularly milked for its venom as part of the park's life-saving anti-venom program. REUTERS/Jason Reed (AUSTRALIA - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS)

A snake charmer holds a snake in Djemaa El Fna square in Marrakesh's old city December 19, 2014. Picture taken on December 19, 2014. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal (MOROCCO - Tags: SOCIETY TRAVEL)

Sajal Biswas, a snake charmer, puts the head of a snake into his mouth as he performs on a roadside on the outskirts of Agartala, capital of India's northeastern state of Tripura, November 25, 2014. According to Biswas, he earns around 400 to 500 rupees ($6.45 to $8.07) per day. REUTERS/Jayanta Dey (INDIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

A man stands by the sculpture "The Serpent of El Eco" by artist Mathias Goeritz during the media presentation of the exhibition "The return of the snake" at Madrid's Reina Sofia museum November 11, 2014. REUTERS/Susana Vera (SPAIN - Tags: SOCIETY)

A man walks past the sculpture "The Serpent of El Eco" by artist Mathias Goeritz during the media presentation of the exhibition "The return of the snake" at Madrid's Reina Sofia museum November 11, 2014. REUTERS/Susana Vera (SPAIN - Tags: SOCIETY)

Snakes crawl over the windscreen of an electricity-powered tricycle, during the launch of the vehicles, at the zoo in Malabon, Metro Manila, July 11, 2014. The zoo's owner MannyTangco said the tricycles, which were dubbed "Go Green for Animals", are aimed at reminding zoo-goers to reduce pollution. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS TRANSPORT)

Conor Jordan, Department Chairman of Impressionist and Modern Art at Christie's, speaks about Joan Miro's "Le serpent a coquelicots trainant sur un champ de violettes peuple par des lezards en deuil" painted in 1947, during a preview of the Impressionist and Modern Art sale at Christie's in New York, May 2, 2014. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY)

A bomb shelter decorated as a serpent stretches across a public playground in the Israeli town of Sderot April 7, 2014. More than 8,600 rockets fired from Gaza have landed in and around the Israeli city of Sderot since 2001, according to the local media center. With a population of around 25,000, the city lies just over a kilometre away from Gaza and is not fully protected by the Israeli Iron Dome defence system set up to intercept incoming missiles. When they hear a "code red" alarm warning of an approaching rocket, Sderot's residents have 15 seconds to seek shelter. In an effort to brighten the landscape and ease the psychological stress, especially among children, many bomb shelters and concrete reinforcements are decorated with bright primary colours, graffiti, and idyllic landscapes at odds with the monolithic architecture of the town and the imminent threat of attack. Picture taken April 7, 2014. Picture taken with a tilt-shift lens. REUTERS/Finbarr O'Reilly (ISRAEL - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 16 OF 17 FOR PACKAGE 'ISRAEL'S GRAFFITI BOMB SHELTERS'. TO FIND ALL IMAGES SEARCH 'SDEROT FINBARR'

A boy runs in front of the "Serpent d'ocean" (Ocean snake) in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, western France, April 24, 2014. Ocean Serpent is a giant aluminium sea serpent skeleton by the Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe (FRANCE - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY TRAVEL)

A model, with an albino python draped over her shoulders, wears a design by Australian fashion label 'We Are Handsome' during a show at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney April 8, 2014. The five-day fashion event showcases designs by local and international fashion labels. REUTERS/David Gray (AUSTRALIA - Tags: FASHION ANIMALS)

Star Alvarez, 19, holds her pet snake on Venice Beach in Los Angeles, California March 20, 2014. Spring officially began on Thursday in the northern hemisphere, and is known as both the spring or vernal equinox. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: SOCIETY TRAVEL ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS)

A performer with a snake takes part in an event marking the closing of carnival celebrations in the Malecon of Santo Domingo March 2, 2014. REUTERS/Ricardo Rojas (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS)

A snake is passed over an image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as shamans perform a ritual to offer predictions for the new year, at Agua Dulce beach in Lima December 30, 2013. The ritual is an end-of-the-year tradition and the shamans used the chance to ask for world peace and regional peace. REUTERS/Enrique Castro-Mendivil (PERU - Tags: SOCIETY POLITICS)

Two python molurus are seen with rabbits in a cage at the family-owned Palmyre Zoo in the 18 hectares (44 acres) pine forest of Les Mathes, in the Charente Maritime region, western France, November 19, 2013. The private zoo which opened in 1966 greets up to 800,000 visitors a year and is home to around 1,700 animals of 170 different species. Zoo keepers annually nourish the animals with 250 tons of fodder, 50 tons of meat, 20 tons of fish, 180 tons of fresh fruit and vegetables. Two full-time veterinarians are in charge of the health and well-being of the animals. The Palmyre Zoo participates in 40 European breeding programmes and provides funding for the conservation of endangered species. Picture taken November 19, 2013. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau (FRANCE - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY)

Manny Tangco, owner of Malabon Zoo, holds a pair of albino Burmese Python as he plays with an orangutan as they celebrate World Animal Day in advance at the Malabon Zoo, north of Manila, October 3, 2013. World Animal Day is celebrated on October 4. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS)

Puff adders mate in Nairobi national park September 15, 2013. The puff adder is one of the deadliest snakes in Africa. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (KENYA - Tags: ANIMALS TRAVEL)

A grass snake is pictured at a marsh called Zhada near the remote village of Luzhki, some 220 km (137 miles) north of Minsk August 12, 2013. Picture taken August 12, 2013. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko (BELARUS - Tags: ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS)

A young woman reacts as Mark attempts to put his pet, a seven-year-old Boa Constrictor snake named Gator, around her neck in Vancouver, British Columbia August 13, 2013. Reluctant at first the woman eventually agreed so friends could take a picture. REUTERS/Andy Clark (CANADA - Tags: SOCIETY ANIMALS)

A Hindu woman worships cobra snakes on the occasion of the Hindu festival of "Naag Panchami" as devotees wait in a line to enter a temple in the northern Indian city of Allahabad August 11, 2013. Naag Panchami is a unique festival dedicated to honour the snake god. The snake is one of the most revered animals in Hinduism. REUTERS/Jitendra Prakash (INDIA - Tags: ANIMALS SOCIETY RELIGION)

The Orinoco river winds through the jungle near Puerto Ayacucho, July 22, 2013. REUTERS/Jorge Silva (VENEZUELA - Tags: ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY)