'Born to be Wild' kicks off series on white viper

“The White Viper”

BORN TO BE WILD’s latest series

Beginning Wednesday, April 4, 2012

 

This summer, Born to be Wild takes you on a different level of adventure as Doc Nielsen Donato goes to the northernmost island of the country in search of the enigmatic white viper.

 

Pit vipers are commonly green, but in the black market, the rare white viper is prized.

 

In idyllic Batanes, research experts noted a number of pit vipers endemic to the area.  Pit vipers are venomous snakes that have sparked fascination because of their striking color and appearance. To the researchers’ surprise, these vipers come in different hues—yellow, brown, green, white, and even violet.  But of all these, the white viper is said to be the most hunted by poachers. There is a high demand for the white viper in the Asian market, where they go for as much as $ 2,500 a piece. Because of rampant poaching, residents in the area noticed that they now rarely see the white viper in the wild. It has also been five years since experts last documented the elusive white viper.

 

Doc Nielsen and his team begin the search for the white viper of Batanes.  From the scenic mountains of Batanes to its pristine islets, Doc Nielsen searches every possible habitat of the white viper to find out more about its enigma.

 

‘Tis the season for adventure. BORN TO BE WILD kicks off summer with “The White Viper” series, filmed entirely on location in Batanes.  

Series premieres this Wednesday, April 4. Don’t miss it.