The World Congress on Snakes brings international scientists to Kandy for a landmark gathering focused on conservation, snakebite treatment and human-wildlife coexistence.
KANDY: The World Congress on Snakes opened in Sri Lanka on October 1, 2026, bringing researchers, conservationists and medical experts together for what organisers describe as the first international conference dedicated entirely to snakes.
The gathering runs in Kandy through October 4, placing snake conservation, biodiversity and public health at the centre of four days of scientific discussion.
Experts from around the world gather in Kandy
More than 400 delegates from 25 countries are expected to attend the event, including over 300 international scientists and specialists alongside more than 100 Sri Lankan researchers, according to Mongabay. The congress is being held at the Grand Kandyan Hotel in Sri Lanka’s cultural capital.
The programme includes plenary sessions, scientific presentations, workshops and discussions covering snake ecology, behaviour, evolution, conservation, illegal wildlife trade and snakebite management. Field activities will also give visiting researchers opportunities to observe Sri Lanka’s biodiversity.
Sri Lanka’s snake diversity takes centre stage
Sri Lanka is home to around 112 snake species, with more than 60 species found nowhere else in the world, making the island particularly important for reptile research and conservation. Its combination of high endemism and significant human-snake interaction helped make it a natural setting for the inaugural World Congress on Snakes.
Scientists are expected to examine pressures facing snake populations, including habitat loss, climate change, persecution and illegal wildlife trade. Organisers also want the conference to encourage a shift away from fear-based perceptions of snakes towards science-led conservation and coexistence.
Snakebite treatment becomes a major focus
Public health is another central theme. Snakebite envenoming remains a serious problem in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, particularly for rural communities where rapid access to treatment can be difficult.
Sessions in Kandy are examining venom research, antivenom development and clinical approaches alongside biodiversity conservation. By bringing medical specialists and wildlife scientists together, organisers hope research can support both improved treatment for people and better protection for snake species.
Congress aims to build lasting conservation links
The World Congress on Snakes is also designed to create new international research partnerships and give younger scientists access to specialists working across herpetology, conservation and medicine.
Sri Lanka’s role as host gives local researchers an opportunity to showcase decades of expertise while placing the country’s exceptional reptile diversity before a global scientific audience. Organisers hope the meeting will help turn research discussions into practical conservation policies and stronger approaches to human-snake coexistence.
Impact to expect
The congress could strengthen international collaboration on snake conservation and snakebite treatment while giving Sri Lanka greater visibility as a centre for biodiversity research and environmental science.
