Indian man dies after being bitten by cobra while trying to pick up his child

Deepak Mahavar, a 35-year-old temporary worker and amateur snake rescuer in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, India, died a few days ago due to a fatal mistake in handling snakes. It turned out that he received a call from his son’s school, informing his 13-year-old son to leave school early. In order to save time, he hung the snake around his neck, and was unfortunately bitten on the hand by the snake.

According to The Indian Express, the incident happened on July 14. After receiving a rescue request from the village of Barbatpura, Mahavar went to catch a venomous Indian Cobra. He successfully put the snake into a glass container, but before he was about to release it to a safe place, he learned that his son had left school early, and he actually took the cobra out of the container, hung it around his neck, and then rode a motorcycle to school, and was bitten on the hand by the snake.

According to reports, Mahawall was still conscious at the time and contacted friends for help. He was then sent to Raghogarh Hospital and later transferred to Guna District Hospital for treatment. The doctor discharged him that night because his condition was stable, but his symptoms worsened sharply at midnight and he was sent to the hospital again but died after failed rescue. The police confirmed that the deceased left behind two sons aged 12 and 14, and his wife had passed away earlier.

It is understood that there are hundreds of deaths from snake bites in Madhya Pradesh, India every year, especially during the monsoon season from June to September, when paddy fields, drainage ditches and stagnant water areas become active habitats for venomous snakes such as cobras, kraits and vipers. According to official data, more than 5,700 people died from snake bites in the state alone between 2020 and 2022, and the actual number may be higher.

Local forestry officials pointed out that Mahawall was not a member of the official wildlife rescue team, but was self-taught and had been a long-term volunteer rescuer, lacking professional equipment and training. “He did not follow the regulations. The correct procedure is not to touch the snake with bare hands, but to use special tools.” Experts called on the government to strengthen training and equipment support to prevent such tragedies from happening again.