Sealed with a HISS: Deadly cobra jumps to the face of the Indian snake catcher and bites him after trying to KISS it
Images of the bite showed that the man was trying to take a risky photo
But as he kissed the back of the cobra’s head, it tightened and bit him on the lip
Cobras are among the ‘big four’ snake species that kill most people in India
If not treated, a cobra’s venom can lead to respiratory failure or cardiac arrest
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This is when a cobra lunged at an Indian snake catcher’s face, biting him on the lips as he tried to kiss the deadly reptile.
Footage from the incident shows the man trying to pose for a photo as the venomous snake lunged at him.
IN the video, the snake catcher can be seen kissing the back of the snake’s hood — the distinctive flaps a cobra uses to intimidate predators by making itself look bigger — while a second man holds the reptile by its tail.
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This is when a cobra lunged at an Indian snake catcher’s face, biting him on the lips as he tried to kiss the deadly reptile.
But to the man’s surprise, the snake suddenly twists its neck and bites the man in the face with teeth that deploy an extremely dangerous venom – capable of killing an elephant.
Fortunately, the man survived the incident in India’s southern Shivamogga district on Saturday, but held his face after the bite as he recoiled in shock from the attack.
It was unclear whether the snake had injected any of its venom into the man. If he had, he would have needed emergency treatment after the incident.
The snake was released shortly afterwards and can be seen in the footage being thrown away by a second man before slipping off through the grass.
Footage from the incident (pictured) shows the man appeared to be trying to pose for a photo as the venomous snake lunged at him
Fortunately, the man survived the incident in India’s southern Shivamogga district on Saturday, but was seen with his face after the bite as he recoiled in shock from the attack.
In India, cobras are one of the “Big Four” snakes – the four species responsible for the highest number of deadly snake bites in the country. They can also be found in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.
Revered in Hindu mythology and culture, the cobra is often seen as “played” by snake charmers – most famously “hypnotizing” the snakes with an instrument called a pungi.
Other renditions with a snake charmer and a cobra also involve performing seemingly dangerous acts with the reptiles.
But this poses a high risk thanks to a cobra’s venom, which contains a potent postsynaptic neurotoxin (destructive to nerve tissues) and cardiotoxin (which causes muscle damage, especially to the heart).
If not treated promptly, cobra venom can damage nerves, paralyze muscles and – in the most extreme cases – lead to respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
The death rate from a snakebite of an Indian Cobra varies from case to case and is based on the amount of venom released by the bite.
According to one study, the death rate can be between 20 and 30 percent, but in another study of victims who received prompt medical attention, about nine percent of the victims died.