2-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies

2-year-old bites cobra, toddler faints, snake dies 

Kshitiz@timesgroup.com 27.07.2025

Patna : If little Krishna (Govinda) slayed Kaliya Naag in the Yamuna, two-year-old Govinda bit a cobra to death with his teeth, scripting a surreal parallel. The toddler from a hamlet near Bettiah in Bihar’s West Champaran district fell unconscious after the hair-raising duel on Friday but was saved from the snake’s venom, thanks to quick medical intervention. The eerie parallel between the divine legend and the child’s real-life encounter that left many stunned unfolded when Govinda was playing near his home in Majhaulia area’s Bankatwa village. The ever-curious Govinda, son of one Sunil Sah, spotted the reptile and, perhaps unaware of its lethal nature, threw a piece of brick at it in play. Then, the snake struck back, coiling itself around the child’s hands. But instead of screaming or running, the little boy sank his teeth into the snake’s flesh, biting it so hard that it died on the spot. Recalling the jaw-dropping moment, Govinda’s grandmother Mateshwari Devi said: “When we saw the snake in the child’s hand, everyone rushed towards him, but in the meantime, he already bit the snake.” The bite caused Govinda to faint instantly. He was rushed to a local health centre and then to Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Bettiah where doctors described the case as “highly unusual”. According to the doctors, it appears the cobra died from trauma to the head and mouth inflicted by the child’s bite. By contrast, the venom’s effect on Govinda was relatively mild, enough to knock him unconscious, but not enough to be fatal. “Timely treatment saved Govinda’s life. The child’s condition is currently stable. Our medical team is providing continuous medication and he is under observation,” said GMCH doctor Saurabh Kumar. Bankatwa village is under observation, too, from far and wide. Little Govinda has catapulted the sleepy hamlet into the spotlight, evoking amazement and admiration in equal measure with his daredevil fight and survival.