Cobra spits venom into Disaster Prevention officer’s eyes in northeast Thailand

[snoop1130]

Photo via ThaiRath

 

A Siamese spitting cobra spat venom into the eyes of a Disaster Prevention officer in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand yesterday. Rescue officers responded quickly and managed to save his life and eyesight.

 

At 7.40pm, the Hook 31 Rescue Unit was informed that someone was spat at by a cobra at Ban Tanot Village, Moo 2, Ban Pho subdistrict, Mueang district, reports ThaiRath.

 

Rescue workers rushed to the scene where they found 49 year old Kriengsak Klang – a Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Officer stationed in Ban Pho – in unbearable pain. On the floor lay a dead 1-metre-long Siamese spitting cobra (Naja siamensis).

 

Responders put Kriengsak into an ambulance and rushed him to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. Along the way, rescue workers washed out Kriengsak’s burning eye with saltwater – a move that ultimately saved him from going blind.

 

With bandages covering his left eye, Kriengsak told reporters what happened. He said that he was taking a shower before his night shift yesterday when his colleague asked him to help catch a snake inside a villager’s home.

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/thai-life/cobra-spits-venom-into-disaster-prevention-officers-eyes-in-northeast-thailand-clip

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-05-05

 

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[hotchilli]

Safety first.

[Skeptic7]

Well that sux. Glad he's seemingly going to be OK. Perhaps Cobra Goggles when dealing with spitters. 

[Gandtee]

8 minutes ago, Skeptic7 said:

Well that sux. Glad he's seemingly going to be OK. Perhaps Cobra Goggles when dealing with spitters. 

How do you know if they are spitters?

[watchcat]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Safety first.

Indeed, the snake is dead. One spitter less.

[sammieuk1]

So it looks like a disaster was prevented then lottery tickets containing hissing Sid make a few quid numbers should be purchased immediately ????  

[Skeptic7]

6 hours ago, Gandtee said:

How do you know if they are spitters?

I don't, but assume the snake handlers do. If unsure...wear goggles. 

[Namplik]

Same thing happened to my mother-in-law, but she was not trying to catch the snake ???? 

 

[Deli]

Thought they finished Cobra Gold Exercise already

[Captor]

How long distance can they spit?

[jak2002003]

People do not go blind from a cobra spitting in their eyes, unless they don't wash their eyes with water...and I don't know why anyone would not do that. 

 

 

 

[pacovl46]

21 hours ago, Gandtee said:

How do you know if they are spitters?

Their bodies are usually a bit more slender than that of other naja species. Depending on the locality coloration can be useful to identify them, too. But in both cases you have to be familiar with cobra species. To average Joe it looks like all the other cobras. One tell tale sign is if it spits at you! ???? Naja kaouthia, that would be the monocled cobra, can spit as well, but since that one isn’t a true spitter they’re really bad at it. It would be enough to hit your face from a close distance, but true spitters are fairly accurate up to several meters, although the species in question produces more of a mist than a spray, therefore its effective range is about only one meter. 

[pacovl46]

3 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

People do not go blind from a cobra spitting in their eyes, unless they don't wash their eyes with water...and I don't know why anyone would not do that. 

 

 

 

You could definitely potentially go blind from spitting cobra venom, and even if it’s just to secondary infection, but for that to happen you’d have to have no access to water to clean your eyes, as you’ve already pointed out.  The much bigger issue with spitting cobra venom is and this applies only to people who either keep them or have to look after them like in a zoo or at a venom lab, most spitting cobras species spit a lot and it doesn’t take much for them to do so. This means that some of the venom will be inhaled by the people who care for them and this can eventually cause an allergy to the venom over time. If that happens you will go into anaphylactic shock next time you’re exposed to the venom and that has a fairly high chance of killing you, if left untreated. That’s the reason why a lot of keepers skip the spitters and go for a monocled or spectacled cobra instead. 

[pacovl46]

5 hours ago, Captor said:

How long distance can they spit?

Depends on the species, some are fairly accurate up to 3 meters. The one that got the guy in this article produces more of a mist than a “beam” of venom and therefore its effective range is roughly 1 meter. 

[Captor]

5 hours ago, pacovl46 said:

Depends on the species, some are fairly accurate up to 3 meters. The one that got the guy in this article produces more of a mist than a “beam” of venom and therefore its effective range is roughly 1 meter. 

OK, and they can bite as well? I always thought cobras bite but one of them spits. So then better I start to learn how that one look like. How all cobras look like for that matter. I read here that they might look different depending on were they are so that is maybe not easy for someone who is totally unfamiliar with snakes.

[Namplik]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:17 AM, Captor said:

OK, and they can bite as well? I always thought cobras bite but one of them spits. So then better I start to learn how that one look like. How all cobras look like for that matter. I read here that they might look different depending on were they are so that is maybe not easy for someone who is totally unfamiliar with snakes.

I`m no snake expert, so correct me if I`m wrong. Yes they bite also, I think the spitting is intended to scare away the other animal/human. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, Namplik said:

I`m no snake expert, so correct me if I`m wrong. Yes they bite also, I think the spitting is intended to scare away the other animal/human. 

That is true .

If I was sitting in a bar in Pattaya and a Ladyboy kept spitting on the floor , I would go and sit somewhere else 

[Captor]

3 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

That is true .

If I was sitting in a bar in Pattaya and a Ladyboy kept spitting on the floor , I would go and sit somewhere else 

 

3 hours ago, Namplik said:

I`m no snake expert, so correct me if I`m wrong. Yes they bite also, I think the spitting is intended to scare away the other animal/human. 

OK, thanks, good to know. So better keeping distance then. And to the ladyboys as well.

[JonnyF]

One of my dogs has taken Cobra spit to the eye a few times. He can't open his eyes for around 3 days after it happens and then he's back to normal. 

 

I let the dogs take care of them but on the rare occasions I've had to help out (like when it won't come out of a tight space) I wear glasses and use a 4 metre long piece of bamboo.

 

Fortunately it's mainly rat snakes and keelbacks on our farm.

[pacovl46]

On 5/7/2023 at 6:17 AM, Captor said:

OK, and they can bite as well? I always thought cobras bite but one of them spits. So then better I start to learn how that one look like. How all cobras look like for that matter. I read here that they might look different depending on were they are so that is maybe not easy for someone who is totally unfamiliar with snakes.

Of course they can bite, all venomous snakes bite, that's how they kill their prey. There's several spitting cobras species, some in Asia some in Africa. The spitters use spitting only to defend themselves. Wikipedia has all the knowledge you need to know about cobras. There's over 30 different species. Generally speaking, if you see a cobra and you back up to 5 meters then you'll be at a safe distance from a spitter.

 

What I love the most about cobras is the hissing sound they make because it says utterly unmistakingly 'get the f..k away from me!' ????

 

If you're into cobras, there's quite a few youtubers who keep venomous snakes, Chandlers Wildlife, Tyler Nolan, Dingo Dinkelman and N.E.R.D. would be a few worthy ones to check out. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by pacovl46

[Captor]

5 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

Of course they can bite, all venomous snakes bite, that's how they kill their prey. There's several spitting cobras species, some in Asia some in Africa. The spitters use spitting only to defend themselves. Wikipedia has all the knowledge you need to know about cobras. There's over 30 different species. Generally speaking, if you see one and you back up to 5 meters then you'll be at a safe distance from a spitter.

OK, i learned long time ago that some cobra spits and some bites. So then they all do boths. Goid to know.

[pacovl46]

6 minutes ago, Captor said:

OK, i learned long time ago that some cobra spits and some bites. So then they all do boths. Goid to know.

 All cobras bite, but not all cobras are spitters. I think only about one third of all cobras species spit, if that.

[Woof999]

On 5/6/2023 at 7:01 AM, Gandtee said:

How do you know if they are spitters?

Spitters = not swallowers.

[Captor]

13 minutes ago, pacovl46 said:

 All cobras bite, but not all cobras are spitters. I think only about one third of all cobras species spit, if that.

OK, I see. Thanks.