Kota Kinabalu: A 28-year-old foreigner was bitten by a five-metre long snake, believed to be a King Cobra, at a squatter settlement in Kg Serusop in Tuaran on Tuesday. It was not immediately known if the man survived the bite at press time.Tuaran Hospital Director Dr G. Mohan on Wednesday said the man was rushed to the hospital at about 6.15pm after being bitten by the venomous reptile.
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It was believed that the man entered the toilet in his house at about 5.30pm and did not notice the snake which was said to have slithered in.The snake lodged its fangs onto his left arm prompting his family members who realised what had happened to rush him to the hospital at about 6.15pm but not before catching and killing the snake. It was also brought to the hospital for venom identification.
Dr Mohan clarified that the snake was not caught inside the hospital as speculated by some after a photo of a man holding the huge snake inside the hospital was circulated via social media on Wednesday. He said the venom had already started to spread by the time the man arrived at the hospital.
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"We did our best to treat him before rushing him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment," he said.
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"This is the first case involving a reptile of this size, normally we would have cases involving smaller reptiles where the chances of survival is much higher if treated immediately," he said.
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On that note, he advised people to be cautious of their surroundings as snakes would stay put when the weather is hot, but when the sun goes down, they would get out.
