For more information: Panagia Fidousa (Snakes of the Panagia) Resource Page
This year, 2026, ekriti.gr reported on August 8th that between both locations a total of three snakes appeared. One snake appeared in Markopoulos on August 8th and two appeared in Arginia the day prior on either August 7th. At their appearance in Arginia, the bells rang joyfully to announce their arrival.
Intervention Concerning the “Snakes of the Panagia”
The Party for Animals, Nature and Humanity has submitted an intervention to the Kefallonia Forest Service, the Environmental Directorate of the Regional Unit of Kefallonia, and the Deputy Regional Governor, raising concerns about the manner in which the well-known “snakes of the Panagia” are collected, kept, transported, and displayed to the public.
In its request, dated August 10, 2026, the party calls for an inspection by the competent authorities, verification of the required permits, and an investigation into the conditions under which the animals are kept and handled. The text below is published in full, as submitted.
Full Text of the Intervention
ARGOSTOLI, 8/10/2026
PARTY FOR ANIMALS, NATURE AND HUMANITY
Email: info@animalpolitics.gr
REQUEST
TO:
THE KEFALLONIA FOREST SERVICE
DIRECTORATE OF ENVIRONMENT AND SPATIAL PLANNING, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, REGIONAL UNIT OF KEFALLONIA
DEPUTY REGIONAL GOVERNOR OF THE REGIONAL UNIT OF KEFALLONIA
LOCAL MEDIA
SUBJECT: FAITH OR MISTREATMENT
Every year, in the name of tradition, live snakes are forcibly removed from their nests, transported, trapped, and displayed to the public as part of the well-known custom of the “snakes of the Panagia.”
Thousands of people are called upon to regard this activity as both normal and sacred. Yet when a creature is confined in a glass container and touched and passed from person to person, serious questions arise. Let us examine in detail what these little snakes endure:
Dehydration and thermal stress. A closed glass container can overheat, particularly in August.
Lack of a suitable environment. They cannot hide, regulate their body temperature, move normally, or sleep.
Handling by numerous people. This causes severe stress and injures the animal.
Microbes. Hands carry microorganisms that may cause a fatal infection.
The absence of food and water for ten days.
All of the above cause exhaustion, with a serious risk of death.
It is not known what happens to the animal on the eleventh day.
For this reason, we call first upon the competent authorities, and particularly the FOREST SERVICE, which has jurisdiction, as well as the media, to seriously investigate the matter and publicly inform residents and visitors.
WE REQUEST:
A. That an immediate inspection and investigation be carried out by the competent authorities.
B. That it be determined whether the required permits or other legal authorizations exist for their capture, possession, transportation, temporary confinement, and public exhibition.
C. That the actual conditions in which the animals are kept, confined, and handled be examined, and that it be investigated whether these conditions are compatible with the applicable legislation and with the obligations concerning the protection of wildlife.
D. In the event that violations or a danger to the animals are identified, that all prescribed administrative, protective, and other legal measures be taken immediately.
E. That we, as well as the public, be informed of the progress and outcome of the investigation arising from this report.
We would remind you that under the current national and European framework for the protection of biodiversity, the following laws and instruments are applicable: Law 3937/2011, Law 1650/1986, Article 20, Law 4042/2012, Directive 92/43/EEC, the Bern Convention, Presidential Decree 67/1981, the Forestry Code, and special provisions.
Respect for faith is non-negotiable. No religion needs the suffering or death of an animal in order to be strengthened. No tradition should be placed above the need to protect life. Reverence does not require glass containers and half-dead living creatures.
A tradition does not become less sacred when it shows mercy. On the contrary, it becomes more humane.
PARTY FOR ANIMALS, NATURE AND HUMANITY
The concerns raised by the Party for Animals, Nature and Humanity deserve to be examined seriously, particularly where questions of wildlife protection and the lawful handling of wild animals are concerned. At the same time, allegations concerning the treatment of the Kefallonian snakes should be distinguished from established facts. Claims regarding dehydration, infection, starvation, injury, and the alleged risk of death require evidence and should not simply be assumed on the basis of the practice itself.
The annual appearance of the “snakes of the Panagia” is a longstanding religious tradition in Kefallonia, deeply connected with the local devotion to the Virgin Mary. Any legitimate concerns about the welfare of the animals should therefore be addressed through careful observation, scientific evidence, and the appropriate authorities rather than through assumptions about the religious meaning or intentions of those who participate in the tradition. If violations of wildlife-protection law or genuine mistreatment are occurring, they should certainly be investigated and addressed. But an honest discussion should allow the facts to determine the conclusions, while also respecting the religious tradition and the people for whom it holds profound significance.
