Kerala: Snake rescue expert Vava Suresh bitten by cobra, hospitalised in critical condition

Kerala's popular snake handler and rescuer Vava Suresh (47) was hospitalised on Monday evening after being bitten by a cobra during a rescue mission in Kottayam district of Kerala.A cellphone video shot by a local resident showed the moment when Suresh got bitten by the snake in Kurichi village. As Suresh put the reptile inside a gunny bag, it creeped up close to his leg and bit him above the knee. He, however, managed to place the snake inside the bag before locals rushed him to a private hospital.Hospital officials said Suresh was unconscious when he was brought in. He is reportedly in a critical condition and anti-venom is being administered to him.

The moment when popular snake handler Vava Suresh got bit by a cobra in Kottayam, Kerala. He's currently in a critical condition.

Trigger warning. pic.twitter.com/Zp9vLf8uXY

— Vishnu Varma (@VishKVarma) January 31, 2022

Suresh rose to prominence after he became the go-to person for people who found snakes in their homes and backyards. He has reportedly rescued over 50,000 snakes and animals. He releases the snakes he rescues into the wild. This is not the first time Suresh’s life has been endangered because of his rescue missions.In 2020, he was hospitalised after a viper bit him while he was trying to save it. His friends said that he was trying to rescue the viper from a well and the pit viper bit his finger. In earlier interviews, Suresh has admitted that he has been bitten over 300 times.When Prince Charles had visited India in 2013, he met Vava Suresh and called him a ‘living wonder’. Charles had said, “Even an elephant dies within half an hour of a king cobra bite. Then how did you rescue so many king cobras? You are a living wonder.”He also headlined a show on a private TV channel based on his snake rescue missions.