An unusual incident took place in Bihar where a man bit a snake that had bitten him, believing it would reverse the venom’s effect. The snake died, while the man was taken to a hospital and survived after receiving proper medical treatment, as reported by the Times of India.
Here’s what happened:
Railway employee Santosh Lohar was part of a team laying railway tracks in a densely forested area of Rajauli in Bihar. On Tuesday night, after a full day’s work, the 35-year-old was settling down to sleep when he was bitten by a snake.
Reacting quickly, Lohar seized the snake and bit it back twice, following the local myth that biting a snake back would save the victim. In some parts of the country, it is a common belief that when a snake bite victim bites the reptile back, the venom transfers back to the snake.
Fortunately, Lohar was surrounded by colleagues who immediately rushed him to Rajauli subdivision hospital. The Times of India reported that the 35-year-old was treated by Dr. Satish Chandra Sinha. He was kept overnight in the hospital and discharged the following day.
Dr. Sinha said he responded well to treatment. It remains unclear what kind of snake bit the railway employee.
In India, around 50,000 people die each year due to snakebites. Approximately 90% of the estimated 3-4 million snakebites annually are caused by the “big four” group of snakes – the common krait, Indian cobra, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, a 30-year-old woman was swallowed whole by a python earlier this month. When her husband went looking for her, he found her feet sticking out of the 30-foot serpent’s mouth. He attacked and killed the snake, but unfortunately, it was too late to save the woman.