GENERAL SANTOS CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 08 Jun) – A four-year old boy was killed after he was bitten by a cobra in the southern Philippines, police said on Friday.
Police said the boy was fetching water from a river in the village of Baliton in Sarangani’s Glan town when he was bitten by the snake on Wednesday.
The boy’s cousin said he saw how the snake attacked. The boy later collapsed and died while his father was trying to find a witch doctor to cure the son from the deadly poison.
Police said it only took 20 minutes and the boy was dead. It was the third time that a cobra had killed a boy in the village. In the Philippines, snake venom is rare.
Most cobras are large snakes reaching almost 2.5 meters in length. The king cobra, which may reach 5.2 meters, is the largest venomous snake in the world.
Cobras live throughout most of Africa and southern Asia. Their habitats vary and some species adapt readily to life in cultivated areas and around villages.
When encountered, cobras usually try to escape but occasionally defend themselves boldly and may appear aggressive. Most of these snakes elevate the head and spread the neck as a threat gesture.
The Philippine cobra (Naja philippinensis) venom is the most toxic. (Romy Bwaga)
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