Bihar toddler bites venomous cobra to death, escapes fatal bite

In a spine-chilling incident from Bihar’s West Champaran district, a one-year-old boy reportedly killed a cobra — by biting it.

The child, identified as Govind Kumar of Mohachchhi Bankatwa village in Majhaulia block, was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Bettiah after he fainted, reportedly moments after sinking his tiny teeth into the live serpent.

According to Dr. Duvakant Mishra, the hospital superintendent, the child was first brought to a nearby primary health centre before being referred to the district hospital.

“Family members claim the boy caught hold of the snake at home. His grandmother noticed him chewing something, and to her horror, it turned out to be a cobra. By the time she could act, the reptile was already lifeless on the floor, and the boy had fallen unconscious,” Dr. Mishra told reporters.

Doctors are keeping the child under close observation. Although he hasn’t yet shown symptoms of envenomation, treatment for poisoning will begin immediately if needed.

Medical professionals described the case as “extraordinary,” with many calling it a rare instance of a toddler fending off a deadly creature with nothing but instinct.

Locals, too, were stunned by the surreal encounter. In many rural parts of India, snakes are a common sight — but few would imagine a child prevailing in such an encounter, let alone surviving it.