A man, caring for his friend's exotic pet snake, was bitten to death by the reptile in both his hands leading to his death. Reports said the reptile belonged to the deadly puff adder species and was brought in from Africa.

The victim, whose identity has been concealed, died last Friday in the Selangor state of Malaysia, reported New Strait Times.

The man was helping his friend take care of the reptile when it attacked him. Doctors said the snake bite on both hands caused a high venom load leading to a more severe envenomation syndrome.

"The victim died 23 hours post-incident while the antivenom (Antivipmyn-Africa) was being procured from the Singapore Zoo," Dr. Ahmad Khaldun Ismail, a senior consultant at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, told the news outlet.

Puff adder is a venomous viper species found in savannah and grasslands in Morocco and western Arabia. Its bite can result in tissue necrosis, hypotension, coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, and spontaneous bleeding. This species is estimated to have caused over 40,000 deaths annually in Africa, and without appropriate clinical management and anti-venom, the outcome is poor.

Meanwhile, the snake's owner claimed that the reptile is on the loose after the incident. While attempts to locate the exotic snake have been futile, authorities are also investigating if the ower was lying and if the reptile is still in his possession. The owner reportedly told the officers that he was busy trying to save his friend and hence did not know where it went.

Authorities have reportedly sought the help of reptile expert Dr. Teo Eng Wah in locating the snake. "The snake could be anywhere after two days, and I am not even sure if the snake had escaped," Dr. Teo was quoted by New Strait Times.

This was also the first recorded case of a snakebite envenoming from this particular species in Malaysia. "This incident highlights the danger of keeping exotic venomous animals without proper documentation and registration with the authorities," Dr. Khaldun added.

Recently, a snake handler from Texas died after being bitten during a reptile show. Reports said Eugene DeLeon Sr. succumbed to his injuries after being bitten by a Western Diamondback rattlesnake at a "Rattlesnake Roundup" event held in Freer, Texas.

Malaikah says most of his snakes are worth between $200 and $20,000 each
Malaikah says most of his snakes are worth between $200 and $20,000 each AFP / Fayez Nureldine
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