Vava
Suresh, a wildlife conservationist and a snake expert, is battling for his life
at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Kottayam Medical College hospital in
Kottayam, Kerala after a 10-foot long cobra bit him on Monday. Suresh is a popular
name in Kerala as he rescued over 50,000 snakes and other animals in his
lifetime.

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Doctors
said there has been a slight improvement in his condition, but he is still in
the ICU since he was brought to the medical college hospital from a private
hospital.

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“Vava
Suresh is now on a ventilator and is responding to medicine. His health
condition has improved after 18 hours. Now his blood pressure and heartbeat are
normal,” ANI quoted Dr Jayakumar TK, Superintendent, Kottayam Medical College hospital, Gandhinagar, Kottayam, as saying.

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The
snake rescuer was reportedly bit on his right thigh while he was trying to put
the cobra into a gunny bag near Kurichy in Kottayam on Monday
evening.

Stunned
by the news, Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor, prayed
for his recovery.

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“May
God save him to continue his brave services to the people of
Thiruvananthapuram,” Tharoor said in a tweet.

In
2020, Suresh was also bitten by a viper, but he had recovered and continued to
work. During his two-decades-old career, he suffered over 250 snake bites. He
also rescued 200 King cobras.

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It
was learned that the cobra was trying to get away when Suresh was putting
it in the gunny bag. But he caught it again and it was then he was bitten. He
then asked the people to rush him to the nearest hospital. After being
administered anti-venom, the 48-year-old was shifted to the state-run Kottayam
Medical College hospital.

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Suresh
was once offered a job in the Kerala forest department, but he refused it,
saying he would not be able to devote his time to the department. But he said
that he would give his expert views whenever sought.