Inside a snake slaughterhouse in Indonesia – in pictures

Wakira smokes a cigarette as snakeskin dries. Known as Boss Cobra, he owns a slaughterhouse in Kapetakan village that produces snake meat and skin, believed by some to help skin diseases and asthma, as well as virility Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

Workers hold snakes for skinning. Wakira employs 10 workers and earns up to 15m rupiah (£997) a month from the factory's production Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

A worker pours water on the snakeskins, which will be used to make bags, shoes, wallets and belts Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

Wakira puts a tray of snakeskins into an oven Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

The heat helps the snakeskins to dry out Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

Tray after tray is placed into the oven to dry Photograph: BEAWIHARTA/Reuters

A worker skins a snake Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

Wakira smokes as his workers get to work on the skins Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

They use scissors to cut the skin into strips Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

A piece of snakeskin is dyed at a bag-making factory in Comal district, Pekalongan Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

A board with pieces of dyed snakeskin is put out to dry Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

A long strip of snakeskin is sewn, to be made into a handbag Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters

The finished product. The price of a snakeskin bag is between 150,000 and 300,000 rupiah (£10-20) depending on its size Photograph: Beawiharta/Reuters