26-Year Old Man Who Took Selfie With a Venomous Snake Gets Bitten and Dies

26-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh in northern India has died after attempting to take a selfie with a venomous snake.

The man, who went by the name Dharamveer, was visiting the Kakoda fair in the neighboring Budaun district when he came across a snake charmer.

Hoping to get a selfie with the snake, Dharamveer took the animal from his keeper and put it around his neck, the Times of India reports.

Man bit by a snake while taking a selfie and dies

Dharamveer's left hand was bitten by a snake, which caused him to start having seizures and eventually lose consciousness, as per Newsweek.

The snake charmer gave the man's family assurances that the reptile was harmless and gave them healing herbs to reduce the swelling.

Dharamveer's family tried to rush him to a community health facility as his condition deteriorated, but it was already too late.

Without a doubt, you never want to take a selfie with such a poisonous snake. A 55-year-old snake catcher from the same Uttar Pradesh state's Shahjahanpur district passed away a few months prior from a comparable selfie-imposed snakebite.

Each year, over five million snake bites take place all over the world. This is particularly serious issue in India, in which the World Health Organization estimates that far more than 1.2 million individuals died from snakebites between 2000 and 2019, more than any other country.

People choosing these alternative treatments are thought to be responsible for hundreds, if not thousands, of avoidable deaths. When they finally visit a hospital, it is frequently already too late.

According to medical professionals, Dharamveer might have survived if he had been taken to the hospital right away to receive anti-venom.

Importance of educating people about awareness of snakes

Snakes contribute to the functioning and balance of the ecosystem, they are a significant component of wildlife and nature, as per ISRGKB.

It consumes frogs, rodents, and other small animals for food. This prevents any creature from proliferating and aids in maintaining the balance of the food chain.

In India, there is a severe lack of knowledge about snakes, and every snake, poisonous or not, is considered to be dangerous.

We need to realize that snakes are not a threat to society. Additionally, killing them for their skin is bad because it drastically reduces the number of snakes worldwide, not just in India.

Snake poison can, however, be used medicinally. However, it must be ensured that the poison is only taken from naturally dead snakes and not from any that have been injured or harmed in any way.

Everyone needs to understand the significance of snake education because most people can't tell the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes and mistakenly assume that all snake bites are poisonous.

Local snake catchers should hold workshops to increase public awareness of snakes so that residents of urban and rural areas can learn all the essential facts, distinguish between both venomous and non-venomous snakes, and be ready the next time they come across one. Instead of killing the snake, individuals should call a snake catcher to save its life.