00:00Just off the southeastern coast of Brazil, shrouded in mist and mystery, lies a remote
00:06island unlike any other on Earth.
00:09A place where few dare to go, and even fewer return unchanged.
00:14This is Ilha de Queimada Grande, better known to the world as Snake Island, tiny in size
00:21just over 100 acres.
00:24But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in deadly inhabitants.
00:30The island is home to over 4,000 Golden Lancehead Vipers, one of the most venomous snakes known
00:37to science.
00:39For centuries, Snake Island has been the stuff of legend.
00:44Stories whispered among sailors and passed down in local lore.
00:48A forbidden island, too dangerous to visit, too alluring to ignore.
00:55Located about 90 miles off the coast of Sao Paulo, the Brazilian Navy has banned all public
01:01access.
01:02Only researchers and military personnel with special clearance are allowed to set foot on
01:08its shores.
01:09The star and terror of the island is the Golden Lancehead Viper, a species found nowhere else
01:17on Earth.
01:19Its venom can melt human flesh, shut down the nervous system, and lead to death within hours.
01:26In evolutionary isolation, these snakes developed an extraordinarily potent venom, five times stronger
01:33than their mainland cousins.
01:35Joining us on this perilous journey is Dr. Brian Frye, an Australian molecular biologist,
01:43and a self-confessed snake geek.
01:47I've been around venomous creatures all my life, but Snake Island, that's the holy grail.
01:55Not just because of the danger, but because of the scientific gold mine it holds.
02:02Stepping on Snake Island is a nerve-wracking experience.
02:06Even before stepping foot ashore, the team suits up.
02:09Thick boots, gloves, snake hooks, anti-venom on standby.
02:15You can't take a single careless step.
02:18There could be a lancehead anywhere, under a leaf, coiled in a tree, even hanging from branches
02:25above.
02:27This venom is unlike anything else we've seen.
02:29It's not just deadly.
02:31It could also be the key to developing new treatments for heart disease, blood clots,
02:37even cancer.
02:39Medical researchers are studying the venom's complex enzymes, hoping to unlock secrets that
02:46could one day save lives.
02:48But why does this island have so many snakes?
02:53The answer lies in its isolation.
02:56Thousands of years ago, rising sea levels cut the island off from the mainland.
03:01With no predators and no competition, the golden lancehead thrived.
03:07Birds, migrating overhead, became their primary prey.
03:12And over time, the snakes evolved deadlier venom to strike fast and hard.
03:19Snake Island isn't just about the snakes, it's a delicate ecosystem.
03:23If the vipers disappear, the whole balance collapses.
03:28That's why research missions like this are so critical.
03:31To understand, to protect, and to preserve.
03:36It's surreal, beautiful, terrifying, and scientifically fascinating.
03:42I've never been so relieved, and so sad, to leave a place behind.
03:48Ilja de Queimada Grande remains off-limits to the world, a natural fortress guarding secrets
03:53from the past, and maybe a cure for the future.
03:59Ilja de Queimada Grande is a protected site.
04:03Unauthorized visits are strictly forbidden.
04:06Brian Frey continues his research into snake venom and its potential medical breakthroughs.
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