Highlights
- Two-year-old boy bit and killed a venomous cobra after it coiled around his hands
- The incident occurred in Bankatwa village, Bihar
- Child lost consciousness after ingesting venom; later discharged from hospital
- Doctors said venom entered his digestive system, not bloodstream
- Experts call it a highly unusual case amid rising snake-human encounters in India
A two-year-old child from a remote village in eastern India is recovering after reportedly biting a venomous cobra to death. The boy, identified as Govinda Kumar, encountered the snake while playing outside his home in Bankatwa village, located in Bihar’s West Champaran district. The cobra is said to have wrapped itself around his hands before the child instinctively bit its head, causing the snake’s death.
He quickly fell unconscious after ingesting venom and was rushed to hospital. After emergency treatment and observation, he was declared out of danger and discharged within 48 hours.
Cobra killed, child hospitalised
According to family members, the incident occurred on Friday when the child saw the snake near the house and grabbed it. His grandmother, Mateshwari Devi, said:
“The child perhaps saw the snake moving and caught hold of it. When we rushed to him, we saw he had taken the cobra’s head into his mouth.”
The cobra died on the spot. Govinda was initially taken to a nearby clinic and later referred to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bettiah.
Doctors: ‘A highly unusual case’
The child had ingested part of the cobra and reacted only locally in the mouthiStock
Medical staff at GMCH described the case as extraordinary. Dr Saurab Kumar, associate professor in the paediatrics department, said:
“We received the child active and alert, though his mouth and face were swollen. We ruled out a bite from the snake and confirmed that venom had entered through the digestive system.”
He added that the child had ingested part of the cobra and reacted only locally in the mouth, avoiding more dangerous neurotoxic effects.
“We administered anti-allergy medication and kept him under watch. As he showed no symptoms for 48 hours, he was discharged.”
Rising risk of snake encounters in India
India records a high number of snakebite cases, with 16 of its 300 snake species classified as highly venomous. The “big four” responsible for most fatalities include the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper and saw-scaled viper.
A 2020 study published in eLife reported over a million snakebite deaths in India between 2000 and 2019. Wildlife experts warn that monsoon flooding and rapid urbanisation continue to push snakes out of their natural habitats and into populated areas, leading to more frequent—and sometimes bizarre—encounters like this one.
