What do you think would be the most terrifying place on the Earth? It surely cannot be more scary than this island off the coast of Brazil.
Just about 90 miles from the city of Sao Paulo lies an island by the name, Ilha de Queimada Grande and no man dares to set foot on this island.
Or should we say, the snakes that reside here do not let anyone venture into the land?
There is a reason why no humans live here. It is the only place on Earth inhabited by the world’s most venomous viper, Golden Lancehead. Their poison is so powerful that it can even melt the human flesh.
According to estimates, as many as 4,000 snakes live on this island. It is so much packed with snakes that you’ll find one snake for every six square yards and so rightly known as the ‘Snake Island’.
But how did the island get such venomous snakes? It is believed that around 11,000 years ago this island was separated from the mainland due to a rise in sea levels.
The snakes were left with limited sources of food and this is when they evolved into an incredibly venomous species that could kill their prey almost instantly.
Along with the venomous reptiles, several stories also inhabit this island. One of them is that of a fisherman who wandered off into the island and later his body was found lying in his boat in a pool of blood bitten by snakes.
Another story is of a lighthouse keeper who was the last one to inhabit this island with his family. Rumour has it that they ran in terror when snakes crawled in through their windows; their bodies were later found scattered across the island.
Presently, travelling to the island is banned. If you wish to visit the island, you need to take special permission from the Brazilian Navy and travel to Peruíbe or Itanhaém (approx. 1.5-2.5 hours from downtown São Paulo).
You will then need to convince a local to take you to the island in their boats, and for many years no local has ventured into the island because it is both dangerous and illegal.
However, according to reports, the population of snakes on the island has reduced by as much as 15 per cent in the last 15 years and many of them are listed as critically endangered in the IUCN’s Red list.
The place still has thousands of poisonous snakes and there’s no reason why anyone would want to visit it.
