Toddler bites cobra to death after venomous 3ft-long snake coiled itself around his hands in India
Govinda Kumar fought back after the venomous snake coiled itself around hisD arm while he was playing outside.
He was in the yard near his home in Bankatwa village, in the Majhaulia block of Bihar's West Champaran district, when the incident happened on Friday afternoon.
According to relatives, the toddler had been playing near the house when he spotted the snake and threw a piece of brick at it.
The cobra then lunged at him and wrapped itself tightly around his hand.
In a shocking turn of events, the boy responded by sinking his teeth into the reptile's head, killing it.
Govinda's grandmother, Mateshwari Devi, said: 'When we saw the snake in the child's hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake, killing it on the spot.'
Shortly after the bite, the child lost consciousness.
His family rushed him to a local health centre before he was transferred to the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah for specialist care.
Doctors at GMCH confirmed that the cobra died from injuries to its head and mouth, believed to be caused by the child's bite.
'The venom did affect Govinda, but not fatally.
Dr Surab Kumar, the medic in charge of treating the toddler, said: 'Timely treatment saved Govinda's life.'
'The child's condition is currently stable, and treatment is being administered under the supervision of doctors.
'The medical team is treating the child, providing continuous medication, and he is under observation.'
The doctor also told The Telegraph: 'We were surprised and cross-checked with his parents multiple times to ensure the child was not bitten by the cobra to rule out that venom had not gone into his bloodstream.'
Govinda was given an anti-allergy medication and is now under doctors' observation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
India's top court orders stray dogs to be removed from New Delhi streets
No stray dogs roaming the streets of New Delhi? That could be possible in the future after India's top court ordered authorities in New Delhi to start removing all stray dogs from the streets, and to sterilize and relocate them to shelters permanently. In its order Monday, the Supreme Court directed the capital's civic bodies to immediately initiate the process of capturing 5,000 stray dogs from 'high-risk areas' for now and send them to shelters equipped with adequate staff and CCTV surveillance within six to eight weeks. It is unclear how the court arrived at the figure of 5,000 stray dogs. Various estimates put the number of strays in New Delhi between 500,000 to one million. While many of the dogs that roam New Delhi's streets are harmless, the court's order aims to control rising dog biting cases, including cases involving children. Some estimates, based on hospital records, suggest New Delhi sees nearly 2,000 dog bite incidents every day. 'The situation is extremely grim,' the court said in its order, adding that it was passed while 'keeping (the) larger public interest in mind.' ' Infants, young children should not at any cost fall prey to stray dogs,' it said. The court also ordered authorities to create an animal helpline within a week so that all dog bite cases in the capital can be reported. It said any individual or organization that stops authorities from removing stray dogs from the streets will face 'strict' legal consequences, while adding the strays should not to be released back on streets, in residential areas or in public places. Animal lovers and activists had earlier opposed the court taking up the case. On Monday, the court chided them too. 'All these animal activists … will they be able to bring back those who have fallen prey to rabies?,' the court asked. Rabies through dog bites is caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system. If left untreated, it is almost always fatal. Shortly after the court's order, a senior minister of the state legislature in Delhi said his government will begin the process of rounding up the strays. Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra said the court's order is a step towards freeing New Delhi 'from the fear of rabies and stray animals.' 'Special attention will also be given to the comprehensive welfare of stray animals,' Mishra said in a post on X.
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Blowing through conch shell could help treat dangerous sleep condition
Blowing a conch shell regularly could help reduce the symptoms of a dangerous sleep condition, according to new research. Shankh blowing is an ancient Indian practice used by yogis for thousands of years, and involves deep inhalation followed by forceful exhalation through a conch shell. But scientists now believe the technique could have huge benefits for those suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) - a relatively common condition where airways become blocked at night, interrupting peaceful breathing. A study published in ERJ Open Research on Monday shows that people with moderate OSA who practised shankh blowing slept better, felt more alert during the day and had fewer breathing interruptions at night. Researchers are now arguing the ancient method could be a simple and cheap way to reduce symptoms without the need for medication or machines. Around 1.5 million adults in the UK are estimated to have OSA. As well as loud snoring and daytime sleepiness, the condition can also increase the risk of serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes. In the study, a group of 30 people with moderate OSA were randomly assigned either shankh blowing or deep breathing exercises, which each group encouraged to practice at least 15 minutes per day for five days a week. Researchers said when the groups were reassessed six months later, the people who practised shankh blowing were 34 per cent less sleepy during the daytime. The study found they also reported sleeping better, and monitoring of their sleep revealed that they had four to five fewer apnoeas (where breathing stops during sleep) per hour on average. They also had higher levels of oxygen in their blood during the night. The study was led by Dr Krishna K Sharma from the Eternal Heart Care Centre and Research Institute in Jaipur, India. He said their research showed potential for an alternative to the current treatment of a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, which patients can find 'uncomfortable'. Dr Sharma said: 'The way the shankh is blown is quite distinctive. It involves a deep inhalation followed by a forceful, sustained exhalation through tightly pursed lips. This action creates strong vibrations and airflow resistance, which likely strengthens the muscles of the upper airway, including the throat and soft palate – areas that often collapse during sleep in people with OSA. The shankh's unique spiralling structure may also contribute to specific acoustic and mechanical effects that further stimulate and tone these muscles. 'For people living with OSA, especially those who find CPAP uncomfortable, unaffordable, or inaccessible, our findings offer a promising alternative. Shankh blowing is a simple low-cost, breathing technique that could help improve sleep and reduce symptoms without the need for machines or medication. He added the study was 'small', but researchers are now planning a larger trial involving several hospitals.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
India's top court orders officials to move stray dogs to shelters in Delhi
India's top court has ordered authorities in Delhi and its suburbs to move all stray dogs from streets to animal court expressed concerns over rising "menace of dog bites leading to rabies" and gave an eight-week deadline to officials to finish the task. Delhi's stray dog population is estimated at one million, with suburban Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram also seeing a rise, municipal sources has millions of stray dogs and the country accounts for 36% of the total rabies-related deaths in the world, according to the World Health Organization. Do India's stray dogs kill more people than terror attacks?"Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs," legal news website Live Law quoted the court as saying on court took up the issue following reports of increasing dog bites in Delhi and other major court directed that multiple shelters be established across Delhi and its suburbs, each capable of housing at least 5,000 dogs. These shelters should be equipped with sterilisation and vaccination facilities, as well as CCTV court ruled sterilised dogs must not be released in public areas, despite current rules requiring their return to the capture also ordered that a helpline should be set up within a week to report dog bites and rabies welfare groups, however, have voiced strong concerns over the court's directive. They said that the timeline set up by the court was unrealistic. "Most Indian cities currently do not have even 1% of the capacity [needed] to rehabilitate stray dogs in shelters," said Nilesh Bhanage, founder of PAWS, a prominent animal rights group."If the court and the authorities actually want to end the menace, they should focus on strengthening the implementation of the existing regulations to control dog population and rabies - they include vaccination, sterilisation and efficient garbage management."Government data shows that there were 3.7 million reported cases of dog bites across the country in say the true extent of rabies-related deaths is not fully World Health Organization says that "the true burden of rabies in India is not fully known; although as per available information, it causes 18,000-20,000 deaths every year".On the other hand, according to data submitted in the parliament by the Indian government, 54 rabies deaths were recorded in 2024, up from 50 in BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook
