Russia is home to the International Medical Leech Center, near Moscow.
The facility breeds nearly three million leeches annually that are sold to medical clinics in Russia and abroad.
The leeches are hatched in boxes filled with peat to mimic the wet turf the mother burrows into. The leeches are then placed, about 1,000 at a time, into jars where they’ll stay until big enough to sell for about US$1.50 per worm.
Leeches can be used to increase blood circulation and break up blood clots.