For years, Rosalio Culit, a self-described healer from the Philippines, has been treating the sick by allowing them to be bitten by venomous pit vipers.

Rosalio Culit, also known as Datu Kamandag among his fellow Manobo tribe members in Surigao del Norte, Mindanao, is a controversial healer who uses viper venom to treat various ailments. He claims that he only discovered the curative properties of snake venom by accident, after being bitten by one of his pet pit vipers many years ago. At the time, he was battling several illnesses, but just days after being bitten by the snake, he felt a lot better, so he deduced that the bite had cured him. He has been preaching the benefits of the North Philippine temple pit viper (Tropidolaemus subannulatus) venom ever since, and has made a name for himself as a snake healer.

Photo: James Jolokia/inaturalist

Culit recently went viral after being featured in an RT video showcasing his unusual healing process, but he has been selling snake bites to people looking for a miraculous cure for over a decade now. In 2014, GMA Network wrote about the Manobo chieftain and his menagerie of pit vipers, many of which roamed freely around his house. Even back then, he had frequent patients who asked to be bitten by his pets to cure various conditions, including heart problems or urinary tract infections. The snake healer reportedly also prescribes patients venom-infused fermented wine that he prepares himself in large jars, but despite his claims, experts say that there is no evidence of Tropidolaemus subannulatus venom having curative properties. In fact, it could prove dangerous, especially for people who are allergic to it.

 

Jovy Tero, Culit’s daughter, told RT that the North Philippine temple pit viper is a “safe snake” whose venom isn’t deadly and doesn’t cause the flesh around the bite to rot. That’s because the snake’s venom is primarily neurotoxic, with a much smaller percentage of hemotoxic venom peptides. The snake’s bite is not known to be fatal, but calling it safe is a bit of an exaggeration.