A 67-year-old Hong Kong man risked his life when he wrangled a venomous snake which had bitten him, instead of immediately going to the hospital.
On the morning of June 7, the man, surnamed Chan, got a call from his wife that there was a snake in their home.
Chan, who was out at the time, rushed back to the Waterfall Bay apartment to find a four to five-foot-long cobra coiled in the corner of his living room, reports Ming Pao.
The 67-year-old, who has reportedly caught snakes “over 10 times” in his job as a maintenance worker, decided to catch the snake himself with just a thin pair of rubber gloves as protection.
Whilst trying to shoo the cobra out of the corner, Chan apparently trod on it, causing the reptile to bite down on his left hand, between his thumb and index finger.
Despite the fact that his wound was turning black and he began experiencing cold sweat and paralysis, Chan reportedly refused to go to hospital until he caught the snake. Where’s your sense of self-preservation, dude?
Having captured the cobra, the reckless wrangler and his wife then took a cab to Queen Mary Hospital, snake in hand (no innuendo intended).
Why didn’t they call an ambulance, you ask? Well, Chan said his wife didn’t understand his request as she’s Filipino and thus not a native Cantonese speaker, but at this point we’re starting to think he just has a deathwish.
The 67-year-old even made sure to pose for a photo with the cobra during his taxi ride. #InstaGameStrong
Following their 15-minute-journey – approximately 90 minutes after he was bitten – Chan arrived at the hospital, where the appropriate antivenom was identified in “record-breaking” speed, since he brought a photo of the serpent… oh, and the actual, live snake.
A Naja atra (for illustration) on Lantau Island. Photo: Thomas Brown via Flickr
The animal was taken to Kadoorie Farm by police officers, and identified as the venomous Naja atra, also known as the Chinese or Taiwanese cobra.
After spending three days in hospital, the 67-year-old was discharged in stable condition.
Despite Chan’s uber-swift treatment, his doctor warned people to call an ambulance and receive treatment first when bitten by snakes and simply take a photo of the reptile instead of “fighting it”.
Check out our illustrated guide to Hong Kong’s venomous snakes for more info on what to do when you’ve encountered, or been bitten by a snake.
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Video of men capturing 4.3-metre-long ‘dog-eating’, man-biting python in Sai Kung shared widely
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated.
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