Snake War

Guerra de Serpientes

Snake Wars: Learning from Nature’s Metaphors

This article presents a metaphorical model rooted in nature —snakes, rats, and rice— to expose the dangers of short-term, symptom-based decisions. Snake poaching may seem like an easy solution for income, but it unravels the delicate interdependence of ecosystems, leading to agricultural collapse and food insecurity. These dynamics are not exclusive to nature: they mirror patterns in business and public policy, where decisions often target visible symptoms while ignoring deeper, latent structures. The "Snake Wars" metaphor helps reveal how policies built on short-term metrics can undermine long-term sustainability. This metaphor can also be applied to complex business systems where the invisible drivers of failure are rarely addressed. We advocate for the use of systemic thinking and simulation as tools to uncover root causes and shift decision-making toward sustainable futures.