Danger During Rainy Season: Cobra Bites 13-Year-Old Boy in His Bedroom

[Georgealbert]

 

 

A 13-year-old boy in Maha Sarakham was bitten by a large cobra that slithered into his bedroom. The boy, now under close medical supervision, is recovering in the ICU. His mother is in shock, while local rescue teams are urging the public to inspect their homes carefully for venomous creatures during the rainy season and after flooding.

 

The incident occurred on September 28, when rescue workers from the Katanyu Foundation in Maha Sarakham were called to a home in Moo 4, Kosum Phisai District, after a report of a snake bite. The boy, identified as "Tan," was rushed to the local hospital by relatives and later transferred to Maha Sarakham Hospital for further treatment in the ICU.

 

 

Tan’s aunt, Mayura Chantakhun, 44, explained that she was alerted by Tan's 90-year-old grandmother, who told her that Tan had been bitten by a snake. Rushing to the scene, Mayura found a bite mark near Tan’s left toe. Tan, in pain and crying, had managed to trap the snake in his bedroom by closing the door before being taken to the hospital. At the time, they did not know what type of snake had bitten him.

 

When rescue workers arrived, they found the snake hiding under a blanket on Tan's bed. Upon closer inspection, it was identified as a cobra, about one metre long, with its hood raised, ready to strike. The rescue team carefully captured the snake.

 

Tan’s mother, Korrakot Thuenmula, 46, who was tending to cattle in the fields at the time of the incident, rushed home upon receiving the news. She said that her son is being monitored in the ICU for 48 hours. Tan is suffering from swelling and redness around the bite, but the wound has not turned black. He has a mild fever but remains conscious and able to speak. Doctors have administered antibiotics and fluids but have not yet given anti-venom due to potential side effects.

 

Korrakot explained that on the morning of the incident, she left the bedroom door open while tending to other chores. She believes the snake entered the house from the back and slithered into Tan's room while he was still sleeping. Tan may have accidentally disturbed the snake, which led to the bite.

 

The cobra, described by Tan as yellow and about three inches thick, was larger than anyone in the family expected to find in their home, which is located in an open area in the middle of the village. The family is now puzzled as to how such a large snake entered their home, which is surrounded by paved ground and lacks dense vegetation.She urged  the public to be cautious, particularly during the rainy season, by keeping doors tightly shut and checking for snakes and other dangerous creatures.

 

Picture of the snake courtesy of ThaiRath.

 

-- 2024-10-01