In an unusual turn of events, a 35-year-old man from Panduka, Kharkhand, India, fought back against a snake that attacked him by biting it twice.
The incident occurred while he was sleeping at a labourer’s base camp during railway line construction in a forested area.
The man, identified as Rajesh Lohar, was startled awake by the snake’s bite. He quickly grabbed an iron rod and bit the snake in retaliation. Explaining his actions to India Today, Lohar said, “In my village, there’s a belief that if a snake bites you, you must bite it back twice to neutralize the venom.”
Despite the common perception that snake venom can be deadly, biting the snake back has little effect. Snake venom is stored in the reptile’s glands and only becomes dangerous when it enters the bloodstream. Otherwise, it is merely a protein-like substance.
Interestingly, snake venom has medical applications, including treatments for cancer, high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.
The specific type of snake that bit Lohar has not been identified. However, Bihar, the region where the attack took place, is notorious for snakebite incidents, with around 4,500 annual deaths attributed to such attacks.
India is home to nearly 300 snake species, over 60 of which are highly venomous, including the Indian Cobra, Russell’s viper, the common krait, and the saw-scaled viper.
These species, known as the ‘Big Four’, are responsible for a significant number of snake bites each year.
Lohar was promptly taken to a nearby hospital, where he received an anti-venom antidote and was discharged the following day.
