Cobra dies after being bitten by Indian boy, 8

Although cobras are known to bite people, the reverse is much less common

A bite from a cobra can often result in death. EPA

A poisonous cobra died after being bitten by an eight-year-old boy in India, local media reported on Friday.

The boy, identified only as Deepak, reportedly bit the reptile after it wrapped itself around him while he was playing in the garden of his home in Pandrapath village in Chhattisgarh.

The New Indian Express reported that the snake coiled around Deepak and would not unlatch, so the boy bit it.

“The snake got wrapped around my hand and bit me. I was in great pain. Because the reptile didn’t budge when I tried to shake it off, I bit it hard, twice. It all happened in a flash," the boy told the newspaper.

Deepak’s family rushed him to a nearby clinic for treatment.

The paper reported that the boy was treated with anti-venom medication and kept at the medical centre for observation.

“Deepak didn’t show any symptoms and recovered fast owing to the dry bite ― when a poisonous snake strikes but no venom is released,” the family told the paper.

It is not uncommon for people to be bitten by cobras in parts of India, but it is much less common for snakes to be bitten by people.

In February, India’s famed snake catcher Vava Suresh was bitten by a cobra. He made a full recovery after being treated quickly with anti-venom.