Icon Films has been commissioned by BBC TWO and Animal Planet U.S. to produce One Million Snake Bites (1x59’ & 1x49’). The documentary follows reptile expert and conservationist Romulus Whitaker, as he journeys across India on a serpentine odyssey.

India is home to 280 species of snakes, 65 of which are capable of inflicting a fatal bite. Romulus Whitaker, who set up India’s first venom production centre, looks closely at snake and human behaviour to understand why so many Indians are bitten and so many die.

 Travelling from the rainforests of the Western Ghats to the deserts of Rajasthan, Whitaker and his son, Samir, come face-to-face with India’s deadliest snakes. Using hi-speed cameras and an artificial human leg, the actuality and mechanics of a snakebite are captured in revelatory detail. 

Harry Marshall, CEO, Icon Films says: “One Million Snake Bites is an eye-opening documentary that uncovers for the first time some of the extraordinary facts behind the uneasy co-existence of snakes and humans. Romulus Whitaker is a one man army in the battle to save snakes and people.”

One Million Snake Bites is an Icon Films production for BBC TWO and Animal Planet U.S. The documentary was commissioned by Tim Martin for BBC TWO and Rick Holzman for Animal Planet U.S. It is directed by Robin Smith and executive produced by Harry Marshall for Icon Films. Tim Martin is the executive producer for BBC TWO and Krishna San Nicolas is coordinating producer for Animal Planet U.S.