After playing with a dead banakon or king cobra, a man collapsed and dies
BANAKON – A 42-year-old man died after playing with and allowing a dead King Cobra to bite his hand in Sta. Maria, Davao Occidental.
The victim was identified as Renante Maligon, a resident of Barangay San Pedro in the said town. He was not brought to the hospital as he turned black moments after being bitten by the venomous snake, locally known as banakon.
According to the police report, it was around two o’clock in the afternoon when the victim’s neighbors caught and divided the dead banakon in their area. In the video uploaded by a resident on Facebook, Maligon was seen taking the head of the king cobra, opening its mouth, and inserting a stick to extract its venom. Not content, the victim let the dead cobra bite his hand and showed it off to his neighbors.
After a few moments, he sat down and felt weak, but his neighbors made him stand up because he was turning black. He then collapsed and died. According to snake experts, even a dead venomous snake like a king cobra should not be played with because its fangs still contain venom even if it is already dead.
Meanwhile, the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is a species of venomous snake that belongs to the family Elapidae, native to the forests of Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. It is the world’s longest venomous snake, with lengths reaching up to 18 feet (5.5 meters). The king cobra is also one of the most venomous snakes in the world, with venom that can cause paralysis and death in humans. It is known for its distinctive hood, which it raises when it feels threatened, and for its ability to eat other snakes, including venomous ones.
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