Baby vs. Cobra

[danmand]

At a snake festival in India, a baby went in the ring with a Cobra. The Cobra had its fangs removed and its mouth sown together. Vidio is here:



http://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/samfund/article298941.ece

 

[Aardvark154]

At a snake festival in India, a baby went in the ring with a Cobra. The Cobra had its fangs removed and its mouth sown together. Vidio is here:
http://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/samfund/article298941.ece

I wondered about that when it was posted on a different thread several days ago. Since it looked like the cobra struck the child several times on parts of the body where it should have been able to get a grasp.

Cobras are rear fanged snakes and have to be able to chew to envenomate - however I'm not going to volunteer to place "academic knowledge" up against the rick of being envenomated.

 

[red]

this is child cruelty in my mind. the parents should be smacked in the head.

 

[stinkynuts]

I don't see what the big deal is. The cobra is defanged and can't really harm the child.

 

[Aardvark154]

"Academic knowledge"??? I'll refrain from asking more about that, BUT....

Cobras are actually elapids with over 270 species of them. They have small syringe like fangs on the top jaw and venom (a neurotoxin) is instantly injected when they bite. Their venom spreads very quickly throughout the bloodstream causing respiratory failure and if not treated quickly, death.

That they were Elapids I knew, however, thank you for pointing out that they are actually front fanged snakes - you’re never to old to learn something new!

I'll try to be vague enough - a fair number of years ago a (much older) friend of a mutual friend was a well known name in professional herpetological circles he claimed and had many times demonstrated that because of the nature of their bite a cobra could hit the palm of your hand if you reflexed it backwards and kept your fingers very tight without being able to get a grip and envenomate. He was however years later killed by the bite of a King Cobra, and as I said I'm not going to volunteer to demonstrate the technique!

 

[great bear]

Wonder what Monty Pthyon would think about this?

 

[osanowo]

as I said I'm not going to volunteer to demonstrate the technique!

yeah lol it's like the one that says that you have to throw your fist inside a mad dogs' mouth when it jumps at you...

 

[Aardvark154]

yeah lol it's like the one that says that you have to throw your fist inside a mad dogs' mouth when it jumps at you...

Its been done (the cobra not the mad dog) but you'd have to have one heck of lot better reflexes than I've got (as well as probably a lot less imagination). The other thing I recall being told was that the weight of the snake hitting your hand is a lot more than one would think.

 

[Jade4u]

What if the kid got hit in the wrong area ie.. an eye?

 

[Aardvark154]

What if the kid got hit in the wrong area ie.. an eye?

Well if its mouth was sewn shut - perhaps loose the eye due to blunt force trama. In the case of a real bite unless there was antivenom nearby - RIP.

Although once again - I'm not volunteering - I understand that since cobra venom is strictly neurotoxic (i.e. it blocks nerve impulses and paralyzes your breathing but does't breakdown the blood - Hemotoxic) that if the victim is otherwise healthy and is put on artificial respiration that the body will eventually after several hours filter out the venom and the victim will probably recover.

 

[danmand]

It is not really that nice a way of treating the snake either.

 

[xdog]

fcking idiots. The parents should be de-fanged and have their mouths sewed shut and thrown into a pit of cobras.

BTW, is this in Malton? Couldn't tell from the video.

x

 

[Cobster]

That they were Elapids I knew, however, thank you for pointing out that they are actually front fanged snakes - you’re never to old to learn something new!

They also don't need to chew to envenomate.

 

[timy]

my god this makes me mad honestly I feel so bad for the cobra and his fangs and yes that poor baby, I wish they can ban these people who charmed these snakes. idiots. karma is a bitch

 

[Aardvark154]

They also don't need to chew to envenomate.

Are you sure about that? It's been a good many years, but recall being told that unlike pit vipers it wasn't a simple strike and back envenomation and that they needed to give a chomp or two. Although when I think about it I can also see what you're saying so it's probably my bad memory. I try to stay as far from venomous snakes as is possible.

 

[danmand]

Are you sure about that? It's been a good many years, but recall being told that unlike pit vipers it wasn't a simple strike and back envenomation and that they needed to give a chomp or two. Although when I think about it I can also see what you're saying so it's probably my bad memory. I try to stay as far from venomous snakes as is possible.

Surely, spitting cobras do not need to.

 

[Cobster]

Are you sure about that? It's been a good many years, but recall being told that unlike pit vipers it wasn't a simple strike and back envenomation and that they needed to give a chomp or two. Although when I think about it I can also see what you're saying so it's probably my bad memory. I try to stay as far from venomous snakes as is possible.

Oh I'm pretty sure.
I'm an avid watcher of Austin Stevens' show.
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/austinstevens/austinstevens.html
Got all his episodes on DVD.
Great show, nice cinematography and it's incredible to see how he handles some of the most dangerous snakes with complete calm and cool.
Especially one episode, this "GINORMOUS" pit viper in the jungles of South America. Unbelievable.