Vava Suresh is a famous Indian snake catcher, who’s been left in critical condition after being bitten by a king cobra. Suresh was on a rescue mission trying to catch a cobra found in Kerala’s Kottayam district. 

He tried to place the snake in a bag when it bit him above the knee. While Suresh managed to go through with his task of containing the reptile, he had to be rushed to the hospital on January 31, as per Indian Express reports. 

Suresh currently has antivenom being administered to him. Though he remains in critical condition, he’s shown some improvement, as per Zee News reports. 

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Suresh is a snake expert and wildlife conservationist, who hosts a snake catching program on television called ‘Snake Master’. As per reports from The Hindustan Times, Suresh has been in such a situation before. In 2020, he was bit by a pit viper and was on the ventilator, fighting for his life, for days. Suresh also spoke to the news outlet saying that he’s been bitten by snakes around 250 times in his career of rescuing 50,000 snakes and animals. 

He’s already lost a finger to a cobra bite, while another bite has caused him to lose movement in his right wrist. Doctors have also warned him that antivenoms are likely to have less impact with the number of bites he’s sustained.  

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Notably, the king cobra is native to India and is considered to be one of the world’s deadliest snakes. Growing up to 13 feet in length, these reptiles might not have the most potent venom, but the administered amount in one bite is enough to kill 20 people. 

India is also among the countries worst affected by snake bites, as per World Health Organization (WHO) data. The country accounts for half the snake bites in the world. 

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This makes Suresh’s contribution all the more laudable, and the heir to the English throne, Prince Charles, praised his snake catching feat during a visit to Kerala in 2013. Even Congress member Shashi Tharoor wished Suresh a speedy recovery, saying, “The last time this happened I visited him in hospital and was relieved at how well he recovered. May God save him to continue his brave services to the people of Thiruvananthapuram”.