Horrifying footage shows a cobra attacking a snake handler.
A Karnataka man’s stunt with three snakes ended badly when one of the snakes attacked him. Maaz Sayed, a snake enthusiast from Sirsi, was filmed wielding three cobras in what many experts have described as a “horrific” manner. He was seen crouching in front of the snakes, pulling their tails and moving his hands – all gestures that the cobras could have perceived as threatening and reacted aggressively.
Unfortunately for Mr. Sayed – whose YouTube channel is full of similar videos – this is exactly what happened. His most recent stunt ended on a terrifying note when one of the snakes suddenly struck him. Footage that has gone viral online shows the snake lunging at the stuntman and biting his knee. The reptile refused to let go, even as the shocked man tried to pull it away.
Susanta Nanda, an Indian Forest Service officer, shared the video on Twitter, criticizing the snake handler. “This is just a horrible way to deal with cobras… The snake sees the movements as threats and follows the movement. Sometimes the reaction can be fatal,” he wrote.
This is just a horrible way to deal with cobras…
The snake sees the movements as threats and follows the movement. Sometimes the reaction can be fatal pic.twitter.com/U89EkzJrFc— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) March 16, 2022
A Facebook post shared by Priyanka Kadam, president and founder of Snakebite Healing and Education Society, reveals that Mr. Sayed was hospitalized after the cobra bit him.
Cobra is the common name of several elapid snakes, and all known cobras are venomous. In Sayed’s case, he would have been given 46 vials of antidote after his stunt went wrong.
Mrs. Kadam shared photos of the 20-year-old snake operator in the hospital. “He is recovering in a private hospital in Sirsi, Karnataka,” she wrote in an update shared yesterday. While Ms Kadam had previously called for Maaz Sayed to be booked for “posting content that is clearly wildlife abuse,” she later suggested that an expert could try counseling the youth.
“An expert may try to guide him. He was not arrogant. Spoke respectfully. He is still unwell. Will contact him once he is fully recovered,” she wrote.
Atul Pai, a snake and animal rescuer from Mangalore, also warned against similar stunts. “A young snake enthusiast Maaz Sayed from Sirsi, Karnataka was bitten by a spectacled cobra while showing off holding and playing with 3 cobras,” Pai wrote on Facebook. “This is a very popular stunt that many people follow and they don’t understand the gravity of it! Unnecessary handling and playing can have serious consequences.”
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