THE COBRA EFFECT
During the British Raj, officials grew concerned about the rising number of venomous cobras in Delhi. To tackle the issue, they introduced a bounty for every dead snake.
At first, the policy seemed successful, many cobras were killed.
But soon, an unintended consequence appeared. Enterprising locals began breeding cobras to claim the reward. Once the government realised this loophole and scrapped the bounty programme, the breeders released their now-worthless snakes.
The result? The cobra population surged to even higher levels than before.
This episode is remembered as the Cobra Effect, a classic example of how well-meaning incentives can backfire, producing the exact opposite of the intended outcome