Well-known snake catcher from the city and president of Snake Saver Society (SSS), Rokkam Kiran Kumar, was bitten by a cobra on his left hand when he was trying to catch the snake near High School Road at Gajuwaka, late on Thursday night.
Mr. Kiran Kumar was rushed to a hospital at Aganampudi for initial treatment and was later referred to King George Hospital (KGH). Fortunately, after providing treatment, doctors said that the condition of the 38-year-old was stable.
KGH Superintendent Dr. G. Arjuna said that Mr. Kiran Kumar was being kept in observation in a special ward since Thursday night, and added that his condition was stable.
According to members of SSS, a family in Gajuwaka was facing a hard time due to the presence of a cobra in their house for the last three months. Though the team tried to catch it on two occasions earlier, their attempts turned futile. On Thursday, when Mr. Kiran Kumar tried to catch hold of the reptile, he was bitten on his left hand.
Risky business
Mr. Kiran Kumar, an avid herpetologist, began catching snakes since 2003. His goal is to ensure that neither the snakes nor any humans are harmed in the rising instances of man-animal conflict in and around Visakhapatnam city.
So far, Mr. Kiran Kumar and his team have caught around 18,560 snakes in and around the city.
“Every time I attend a call, my wife starts praying to God for my safe return. Her fear is justified as this profession is very risky. Leaving home, I do not know whether I will make it back safely or not,” Mr. Kiran Kumar said.
Record books
This is for the third time that the snake-catcher has been bitten by a snake.
Mr. Kiran Kumar has his name etched in the Limca Book of Records, World Amazing Records and India Book of Records.
Mr. Kiran Kumar has been doing yeoman service for the last 16 years, and whenever there is an incident of a snake entering a home or an office, he arrives promptly when called.
Unlike other professionals, he grabs the snake with his bare hands and rarely uses rubber gloves, snake-catcher’s stick or tongs. But on Thursday, the snake got the better of him.
“Initially, my parents were worried about my career choice but after seeing my love for the profession, they wholeheartedly supported me,” Mr. Kiran Kumar said, adding that the government should do its bit for people like him who risk their lives to save people as well as the snakes.
