Bihar Toddler Bites Cobra To Death, Doctor Explains Why He Survived

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Patna: A surprising incident came to light last Thursday from Mohchi Bankatwa, a small village near Bettiah in Bihar’s West Champaran district. A one-year-old boy allegedly bit a snake to death. The snake was said to be a cobra.

The boy, Govind Kumar, was playing outside his house while his mother worked nearby. According to the family, the child grabbed the snake and bit it with his teeth. The reptile later died. The moment was both frightening and bizarre for the locals.

Govind’s grandmother, Matisari Devi, said the child was sitting near a pile of wood when the snake appeared. Before anyone could react, he had already bitten the snake. Soon after, he lost consciousness. The family rushed him to the local health center and then to the government hospital in Bettiah.

Doctors treated Govind and kept him under observation. Fortunately, he made a quick recovery. The news spread across the region, drawing attention from local residents and media. The case sparked curiosity, as incidents like this are rarely heard of.

Dr. Kumar Saurabh, an assistant professor in the pediatric department at the Government Medical College, who examined the infant, said he had swelling around the mouth when brought in. The family reported that the child had not only bitten the snake but had swallowed part of it.

The doctor explained the medical aspects behind the survival. When a snake bites a person, the venom enters the bloodstream, affecting the nervous system. This can cause serious complications or even death. In Govind’s case, however, the venom entered through the digestive tract. The human digestive system is capable of breaking down and neutralising the venom in some cases, preventing harm.

He added that if there were any ulcers or internal bleeding points in the food pipe, the outcome could have been different. But in this case, there were no such issues. The child was lucky.

The incident also sheds light on the wider problem of snakebites in India. According to the World Health Organisation, between 80,000 and 130,000 people die from snakebites globally every year. India alone accounts for around 58,000 of those deaths.

In Bihar, government data shows 934 people died due to snakebites between April 2023 and March 2024. During the same period, over 17,800 people sought treatment for snakebites in state hospitals.

Experts believe the actual numbers are higher. Many cases go unreported because victims either do not reach hospitals or rely on traditional healers. Most deaths from snakebites occur in rural states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Govind’s case may be rare, but it highlights how common and deadly snake encounters are in many parts of the country.