Man bites black cobra back
2002-07-15 23:23
Calcutta - When an Indian farm worker was bitten by a black black cobra, he struck back in anger, biting it to death.
Ananova reports that Mahadeb Hansda was working in a rice paddy at Ailsa, north of Calcutta, when the black cobra bit him. He chased after the snake, grabbed hold of it and took two bites out of it.
The snake later died. But the 45-year-old was taken to hospital and lived to tell the tale.
He said: "As it was deadly venomous I was terribly afraid and caught hold of it somehow before it could ran away. And, in a fit of rage, I bit off some of its flesh from its neck."
Rare retaliation
His wife put the injured snake in an earthen pot and took it to hospital so that its species and the right serum can be identified.
There doctors couldn't resist examining the snake and found that it died because the bites severed its windpipe and spine.
One of the hospital doctors said: "Hansda's mental strength to chase, catch and bite the fleeing cobra for a tooth-for-tooth retaliation is really rare."
The black cobra can spit its venom further than 2m into the eyes of its intended prey causing temporary blindness and extreme pain.
Yogis claim that the black cobra is the easiest snake to charm because it 'loves music'. Others say it is just because the black cobra responds very well to visual cues.