An Indian man, Santosh Lohar, retaliated against a snake that attacked him during a nap by biting it to death.
The 35-year-old from Pandua, Jharkhand, India, was asleep when the snake struck, prompting him to respond with an unconventional tactic: he swiftly seized the reptile with an iron rod and bit it twice.
Explaining his actions to India Today, Lohar said, “In my village, there’s a belief that if a snake bites you, you must bite it back twice to neutralize the venom.” According to him, this superstition is widely held in his community and is believed to prevent death from snakebite.
The specific species of snake that attacked Lohar has not been confirmed. After the incident, he was promptly taken to a nearby hospital where he received an anti-venom antidote and was discharged the following day.
India hosts nearly 300 species of snakes, over 60 of which are highly venomous, including the Indian Cobra, Russell’s viper, common krait, and saw-scaled viper.
