In Bihar, India, a man was bitten on his right arm by a venomous snake while sleeping at home. He immediately grabbed the snake and endured the pain to go to the hospital for treatment. The sight of him holding the snake’s head and hanging its body around his neck stunned both the doctors and patients in the hospital.
According to “Indian Express,” the incident occurred on October 15 in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Prakash Mandal, a 48-year-old worker, was bitten by a Russell’s viper, also known as a Russell’s viper.
Mandal, injured, held on to the snake. Not knowing the species of the snake, he took it to a nearby hospital to help the doctors identify the snake’s type and provide treatment.
A viral video online shows Mandal walking into the hospital with the snake hanging around his neck, tightly gripping the snake’s head with his right hand. Someone at the scene instructed him to lie on the floor in a corner of the hospital, but he still did not release the snake.
Doctors mentioned by “Hindustan Times” said that it would be challenging to treat Mandal while he continued holding the snake, so he eventually let go. His family members who accompanied him to the hospital placed the snake in a sack, which was later handed over to officials from the forestry department.
Russell’s viper, along with the Indian cobra, common krait, and saw-scaled viper, are collectively known as the Big Four venomous snakes in India. The Russell’s viper is highly venomous, and if not treated promptly after a bite, it can lead to death due to sepsis or kidney, respiratory, or heart failure.
Russell’s vipers are often found in the Bhagalpur area and sometimes appear in residential or youth hostels. Over the past few years, hundreds of Russell’s vipers have been rescued by the authorities.
In a previous report by Epoch Times, in Nawada, southern Bihar, a man was bitten by a snake in July. However, the man retaliated by biting the snake back as per a local legend, believing it would transfer the venom back to the snake. As a result, the snake died, and the man survived.