22.10.2026 17:11
In India, the bounty scheme launched by the colonial administration to reduce venomous snakes backfired. People seeking to profit began breeding cobras in their homes, and when payments were stopped, thousands of snakes were released into the streets, plunging the city into disaster.
According to the story told under the name “the cobra effect,” the British colonial administration launched a reward system in the city of Delhi, India, to reduce the number of venomous snakes. The authorities decided to pay money for every dead cobra handed in. The aim was to reduce the danger by encouraging people to catch snakes. However, it turned into an unexpected money-making opportunity.
THEY BEGAN BREEDING SNAKES INSTEAD OF CATCHING THEM
In the continuation of the story, it is stated that some people began breeding snakes to claim the reward instead of searching for cobras in the wild. After the authorities noticed this and stopped the payments, it is reported that the bred cobras were released. Thus, it is argued that the incentive designed to reduce the number of snakes made the problem worse.