Snake Catcher Critical After Being Bitten By 10-Foot-Long Cobra During Rescue

A snake catcher in India was hospitalized in a critical condition Monday after being bitten by a cobra.

Vava Suresh, who is a popular snake handler in the southern state of Kerala, was trying to save the reptile from a house in the town of Kottayam when the incident took place.

Suresh was caught on camera trying to drive the snake into a bag when the deadly reptile bit him on the right thigh, The News Minute reported.

Local media reports said he was unconscious when he was brought to the hospital.

“We were in tears... despite the bite, he managed to put the snake in the gunny back safely. He became unconscious after a few minutes,” a resident said, according to the Hindustan Times.

He is currently in the intensive care unit of Kottayam Medical College hospital. Before this, he had been first rushed to a private hospital where he was put on a ventilator and was given anti-venom.

The 48-year-old has reportedly rescued over 50,000 snakes and other animals, according to The News Minute.

In 2020, Suresh was hospitalized after a viper bit him while he was trying to save it. His friends said at the time he was trying to rescue the viper from a well and the pit viper bit his finger. In earlier interviews, Suresh has admitted he has been bitten over 300 times.

Several of his fans took to Twitter to pray for his recovery.

"Read about Vava Suresh this morning and the snake bite. Hope he gets better. You think as you get older it is better to quit snake catching? Your reflexes get slower and it is a dangerous profession to be in," one user wrote.

Another said: "Praying for you #VavaSuresh. Appreciate your sincerity and brilliance. Requesting you to plz use snake catching tools. Wish you a speedy recovery."

According to Britannica, cobras are highly venomous and most of them expand the neck ribs to form a hood. While the hood is characteristic of cobras, not all of them are closely related.