Baby Snake Murders A Man After Revenge Attack
A man has died after attacking a baby snake. Here's what happened.
This article is more than 2 years old
Rama Mahto recently passed away after an unusual run-in with a baby snake. Rama Mahto was 65 years old and living in the village of Madhodeh in India. He was hanging out on his porch when a baby snake attacked him. The little creature bit his leg when all he was doing was sitting on his front porch. Reportedly drunk, Rama Mahto wanted revenge for the slight from the snake. He tracked the baby reptile down and proceeded to bite the creature. This, was, apparently, a fatal mistake.
While Rama Mahto chewed on the baby viper, it proceeded to bite his face. Overall, the family reported to the police in an official statement that the snake bit his face more than ten times during this experience. Unfortunately, this didn’t deter his own revenge. Eventually, he did stop and placed the baby snake in a nearby tree to go about its own life after this run-in. Concerned, Rama Mahto’s family urged him to go to the hospital, feeling that medical care was important after the bites.
However, Rama Mahto, still reportedly intoxicated, felt certain that since the reptile was a baby, there was no danger of venom. Since he felt he was just fine, and it was late evening, and he’d just gone through all the trouble of fighting the baby snake, he decided to turn in for the evening and went to sleep. Unfortunately, Rama Mahto was found dead on Monday morning following the incident. While the official cause of death has yet to be recorded, it’s assumed to be venom from the snake.
Globally, 5.4 million snakebites happen every year. Of those, 1.8 to 2.7 million cases turn out to be poisonings from the bites. Not all of those result in deaths. There is an average of 81k to 138k deaths each year from snake bites, but death isn’t the only risk. Around three times as many people end up suffering from amputations or other permanent disabilities every year from venomous snake bites. Most of these events occur in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Venom isn’t the only risk when it comes to being bit. Fangs can tear at skin and be dangerous. Despite these risks, many people are enthusiastic pet owners, others seek out wild snakes, and some places in the United States have snake catching competitions. The passion for these creatures runs deep. However, while intoxicated, judgment is off. There have been a number of stories over the years of people approaching snakes while drunk. This isn’t always for revenge. Sometimes it’s curiosity or thinking it’s just funny. The trouble is that when approached, the animal thinks it is being attacked. Of course, in this case, the baby very much was in danger. When approached in any way, a snake is a lot more likely to attack. If left alone and given their space, most of these animals will leave people alone.
When should you go to the hospital for a snake bite? As the story suggests, you need to go even if the reptile is a baby. Medical experts advise that you always immediately go to the hospital after a bite. Unless the creature has been positively identified by a trusted expert in the field, always assume that there is a risk of danger and venom. This is truly a case of better safe than sorry.
