Indian Man Dies After Mistaking Russell’s Viper for Non-Venomous Snake, Catching it with His Bare Hands

In a tragic incident that took place in the Indian state of Karnataka, a man died after being bitten by a Russell’s viper, which he mistook for a non-venomous python and attempted to catch with his bare hands.

The deceased identified as Ramachandra Poojary, 55, worked as a security guard at a house in Mangaluru’s Bajpe region when he happened upon the serpent in the vicinity of the house on Sept. 4.

Poojary assumed the snake to be harmless and caught it with his bare hands. The snake bit his hand but Poojary did not take the bite seriously as he believed it to be non-venomous. Thus, he went home instead of going to the hospital, family sources said.

Video footage of the snake bite has been shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In the evening, Ramchandra felt dizzy and his health condition started deteriorating. His family members immediately admitted him to the hospital. However, he failed to respond to treatment and succumbed to his injuries on Friday, Sept. 13.

A Russell’s viper is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. The snake, native to South Asia, grows to a maximum of five feet and bears three rows of reddish brown spots outlined in black and white. Russell’s viper bites may cause hematological and neurological manifestations, doctors said.

Last month, a 44-year-old snake rescuer died after he was bitten by a Russell’s viper while attempting to capture it in Coimbatore, which is about 280 miles from Bajpe.