In Sathyasai district of Andhra Pradesh, a young man ended up in the hospital after playing with a cobra while being in an intoxicated state. Nagaraju, a resident of Kadiri, was heavily under the influence of alcohol when he encountered a cobra slithering into the premises of a local college.
Instead of avoiding the dangerous reptile, he decided to interact with it. When the reptile tried to go back to the bushes, he again played with it by bringing it back to the road and engaging in a bizarre act.
Despite bystanders' warnings and scoldings, Nagaraju continued his dangerous antics until the situation turned serious, according to a report on Kalinga.
A video footage of the incident showed Nagaraju slapping and playing with the cobra. Agitated by his actions, the snake bit him multiple times. After being bitten, Nagaraju was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. The swift actions of the onlookers, who called for an ambulance immediately, potentially saved his life, as reported by India Today.
Meanwhile, last month, at least 12 individuals lost their lives due to snakebites in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Snakebite incidents tend to increase during the monsoon season compared to other times of the year. Consequently, hospitals, particularly in rural areas, are stocked with antivenom and equipped with critical care facilities to address such emergencies.
Between 2018 and 2022, Andhra Pradesh reported over 1,700 deaths from snakebites, with the majority of the victims being farmers.
However, the incident was similar to the event reported in January last year. A man died in Tamil Nadu after being bitten by a snake during New Year celebrations. In that case, too, the individual was intoxicated and playing with a venomous snake. Most of the deaths were caused by Russell's vipers and Cobras.
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