Snake bites snuff out nearly 20 lives a year in district

The silhouette of Snake Shyam with a rescued Spectacled Cobra clicked during sunset on KRS Road in city.

99 percent bite victims die of shock, delayed medical attention, claims Snake Shyam

Mysore/Mysuru: The scorching heat from the Sun is driving snakes to find shelter in cool places this summer and following lockdown being imposed by the State Government and every citizen staying put in their houses, more number of snakes have been spotted in city.

City’s well-known snake rescuer and wildlife conservationist Snake Shyam, who has rescued more than 80,000 snakes since 1978 and released them in their natural habitat, told Star of Mysore that a maximum of 20 snake bites occur in the district.

Claiming that 99 percent of snake bite victims die of shock and delayed treatment, Shyam said that snake bite victims especially in rural places are taken to native doctors for treatment and are brought to city hospitals only after native doctors fail in treating them. This delay in admission to hospitals was causing most number of deaths in rural areas.

In urban population, many youths are now trying to rescue snakes without having proper knowledge on handling of snakes. This is resulting in fatal snake bites. With summer now, snakes tend to find cool places to rest and end up coiling themselves under LPG cylinder, near water pots, flower pots etc. and when people venture near them unknowingly, they get bitten, he said.

Snake bite victims, especially children need immediate medical attention and hence they have to be rushed to the hospital within 30 minutes. Self-medication is bad as it could lead to many complications while providing treatment at hospitals, he added.

Shyam said that only four venomous (Poisonous) snakes —Spectacled Cobra, Saw-Scaled Viper, Russell’s Viper and Krait — are found in Mysuru city. While Spectacled Cobra, Krait and Russell’s Viper could be found in almost all places across the City, Saw-Scaled Viper can be found in Rajivnagar side.