BHOPAL: An angry farmer who was bitten by a snake bit it back and killed the reptile in a retaliatory attack, in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday night.
Nilabh Dhurvey chased the snake, which bit him on his right thumb, caught it and killed it by biting it to pieces.
"I survived the bite only because I bit him to death," the 30-year-old Dhurvey, who lives in Macchiborgaon village, some 40km from district headquarters and 215km south of state capital of MP, told doctors at district hospital.
The incident took place at around 7.30pm on Wednesday when Dhurvey, member of the Korkhu community (categorised in Primitive Tribe Group - PTGs), was returning home after grazing his cattles.
As soon as the snake bit him, he pounced upon the snake and bit it to pieces - as Dhurvey told to his treating medico Dr Rahul Shrivastav, at the district hospital. "I have seen more than 200 cases of snake bites since my posting in this tribal dominated area, this was the first of its kind," Dr Shrivastav told TOI.
The doctors administered him only a loading doze of the polyvalent anti-snake venom serum and he was out of danger. He will be discharged by Friday, they said, adding his vengeance was followed by an old belief that biting back a snake ends risk to life. Dhurvey believes that he would have succumbed to poison if he had allowed the snake to escape.
Forest officials said that Dhurvey is out of danger, and would not be charged with killing the snake unless the species of the reptile is identified. "Initially, it seemed that this snake was not among the endangered species," said a forest ranger.
While state forest department government provides compensation for the loss of human life by wild animals except snake and monitor lizard (guhera), the revenue department pays Rs 50,000 to the dependents in case of death by snake bites.
Experts on reptiles claim, Betul district has a large variety of non-poisonous snakes like rat-snake, chequered keelback, and kukri. While poisonous snakes found in the area includes, cobra, krait and Russell's vipers. According to officials figures, 800 people have died in MP by snake bites in the last seven months.
Farmer bites back snake to death in tit-for-tat attack in MP - The Times of India
Nilabh Dhurvey chased the snake, which bit him on his right thumb, caught it and killed it by biting it to pieces.
"I survived the bite only because I bit him to death," the 30-year-old Dhurvey, who lives in Macchiborgaon village, some 40km from district headquarters and 215km south of state capital of MP, told doctors at district hospital.
The incident took place at around 7.30pm on Wednesday when Dhurvey, member of the Korkhu community (categorised in Primitive Tribe Group - PTGs), was returning home after grazing his cattles.
As soon as the snake bit him, he pounced upon the snake and bit it to pieces - as Dhurvey told to his treating medico Dr Rahul Shrivastav, at the district hospital. "I have seen more than 200 cases of snake bites since my posting in this tribal dominated area, this was the first of its kind," Dr Shrivastav told TOI.
The doctors administered him only a loading doze of the polyvalent anti-snake venom serum and he was out of danger. He will be discharged by Friday, they said, adding his vengeance was followed by an old belief that biting back a snake ends risk to life. Dhurvey believes that he would have succumbed to poison if he had allowed the snake to escape.
Forest officials said that Dhurvey is out of danger, and would not be charged with killing the snake unless the species of the reptile is identified. "Initially, it seemed that this snake was not among the endangered species," said a forest ranger.
While state forest department government provides compensation for the loss of human life by wild animals except snake and monitor lizard (guhera), the revenue department pays Rs 50,000 to the dependents in case of death by snake bites.
Experts on reptiles claim, Betul district has a large variety of non-poisonous snakes like rat-snake, chequered keelback, and kukri. While poisonous snakes found in the area includes, cobra, krait and Russell's vipers. According to officials figures, 800 people have died in MP by snake bites in the last seven months.
Farmer bites back snake to death in tit-for-tat attack in MP - The Times of India
