Venomous cobra bites man in Peterborough, Ont.

author-image
Meeshika Sharma
New Update
NULL

Monocled Cobra

Toronto Animal Services is investigating after a 29-year-old man was bitten by a venomous cobra at a Peterborough, Ont., residence.

The man received medical treatment at Scarborough and Rouge Hospital and is currently recovering there, agency says.

The Toronto Zoo's reptile and amphibian specialist Dr. Andrew Lentini said the victim has been working with reptiles for years and was helping a friend with a shipment of these animals when he was bitten.

"Apparently, the cobra wasn't something they were expecting and you handle venomous snakes different than non-venomous and I guess he was bitten during the course of those activities," he said.

Advertisment

Lentini said that the snake that bit the man is a monocled cobra from South Asia, adding that the species is linked to a number of deaths each year because of the potency of its venom.

"It is one of the most lethal snakes out there," he said.

Lentini received a call from the provincial agency requesting anti-venom from the zoo's supply to save the man's life who reached hospital after getting snake bite. He arrived at the hospital an hour later to assist staff.

"When I arrived and during my discussions with this young man, it became apparent the neurological effects of the venom were definitely setting in," Lentini said.

"He was starting to experience muscle weakness and he was losing control of his eyelids and his eye muscles and his speech was becoming a little bit heavy. He was starting to basically experience paralysis, which from these snake bites spreads until all the muscles are affected."

He added that if venomous snake bites aren't treated they can be fatal, explaining the venom causes victims to go into respiratory failure.

The Toronto Zoo says it stocks anti-venom to ensure the health and safety of staff in case they are bitten by venomous snakes at its east end facility.

Private ownership of all venomous snakes is illegal without official approval under provincial law in Ontario. Robbinson says possession of these prohibited animals is subject to a fine of $240. Municipalities in the province have passed bylaws banning dangerous exotic animals, largely to protect native species.

But the Toronto Zoo says many of these venomous reptiles are kept in private collections throughout the province. In the last decade, Lentini says he has witnessed at least seven similar incidents in the GTA.

canada-news latest-canada-news
Advertisment