2nd time unlucky! Mumbai teen dies after snake stunt goes awry

A file picture of Avez Mistry with a cobra

Remember the old adage ‘once bitten, twice shy'? Had a 19-year-old given it some thought, he wouldn't have to pay with his life.

Barely three months after having a narrow escape from death following a snakebite, Avez Mistry was killed when he was attacked in a similar fashion on Sunday.

The teenage snake rescuer was performing a stunt with a venomous cobra, when he accidentally got bitten. "The deceased had rescued a cobra and was trying to lift it with the help of two fingers during a stunt when he got bitten by the snake on the palm," said a snake rescuer from Nalasopara, who did not wish to be named.

Mistry was immediately rushed to a government-run primary health centre in Nallasopara, where he died during treatment.

Wildlife lovers claim that Mistry wouldn't have died had he been given proper treatment. "It's sad that the boy died in the incident, especially after he was taken to hospital on time. If the anti-venom medicines were administered properly, his life could have easily been saved," said a herpetologist, on condition of anonymity. Mistry had earlier been attacked in December, but survived it after getting timely treatment.

Also Read: Navi Mumbai man kisses rescued cobra, gets bitten and dies

Pawan Sharma from NGO RAWW said, "I am not aware about what happened and whether the rescuer was bitten during rescue or while handling or performing stunts. However, his photos on social media show him handling snakes without taking any precaution. This is unethical."

As per independent data collected by a herpetologist from Maharashtara, a total of 32 snake rescuers have died of snakebites in Maharashtra in the last 12 years.

Read Story: 'Rescuers' bitten by snakes they were trying to catch in Mumbai

On February 6, mid-day had reported about a man from Belapur, who died while kissing a rescued cobra. Following the incident, herpetologists and NGOs working in the field of snake rescue and rehabilitation had demanded that the forest department issue guidelines to deal with rescued reptiles. "Such cases obstruct the purpose and cause of human-reptile conflict management," Sharma added.