"Devenomizied" Thai Cobra bites and nearly kills New Jersey man

[mmafan555]

http://www.northjersey.com/topstories/fairlawnhttp://www.northjersey.com/topstori...ondition_after_pet_cobra_bite.html?c=y&page=1


If the guy had died do you think the dealer who lied and told him that the cobras venom glands had been removed would face murder or manslaughter charges?

 

[Dannyboi]

I would guess criminal neglect. The guy didn't die so all he could go for is attempted murder but they would have to prove the intent to kill.

 

[snakelady-viper]

Stunning Animal

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Nice snake,
The devonomising operation is common in he states and it is possible to leave some of the gland in and this will generate venom.
It would be interesting to know if the guy was actually envenomated or was suffering from something, like a panic attack or something.

The bite sent Bortz into respiratory distress within hours, despite repeated assurances from a Pennsylvania dealer that the snakes had undergone a procedure rendering them harmless, police said

 

[cement]

Its a great article, factual, and seems quite truthful which is good considering it is media.

I just can't seem to find any sympathy for him though, I've dug deep but there's just nothing there.
He buys an illegally smuggled animal, if that's not bad enough, its one that has been supposedly butchered and rendered venomoid. He obviously doesn't have the knackers to keep a "hot" one.
Nup, no sympathy.

Lucky it wasn't a taipan eh MMA!!

 

[Crimson]

Seems like he deserved to be bitten imo

 

[mmafan555]

Nice snake,
The devonomising operation is common in he states and it is possible to leave some of the gland in and this will generate venom.
It would be interesting to know if the guy was actually envenomated or was suffering from something, like a panic attack or something.

The symptoms didn't show up until 3 hours after the bite...Therefore I would guess that it was the venom. He also apparently had to be put on a respirator and couldn't talk. So its either a ridiculously severe panic attack or most likely the venom. He also had local swelling.

Its a great article, factual, and seems quite truthful which is good considering it is media.

I just can't seem to find any sympathy for him though, I've dug deep but there's just nothing there.
He buys an illegally smuggled animal, if that's not bad enough, its one that has been supposedly butchered and rendered venomoid. He obviously doesn't have the knackers to keep a "hot" one.
Nup, no sympathy.

Lucky it wasn't a taipan eh MMA!!

I agree. If your going to have a highly dangerous animal be a man about it and accept responsibility if something bad happens[ dont be a coward and remove the venom glands... Otherwise keep a non venomous snake.

And yes he is lucky it wasn't a taipan. Taipans cause incoaugable blood and respiratory failure meaning that if he didnt have access to anti venom he could have still died form those effects. With respiratory failure all you really need is a ventilator and anti venom for a krait or mamba bite isn't all that neccessary if you have a functioning ventilator..Taipans bites cause bleeding problems[ mambas and kraits do not] so a ventillator isn't all that is needed to save you. Cobras are complicated for Elapids aswell as they also cause local problems[ swelling, blistering and sometimes necrosis] so while a ventillator will save you life antivenom would stop the local problems which can be severe.

So if your just talking about survival all you really need is[ of course antivenom is the best and preferred option for respiratory problems aswell, but it isn't needed to survive when you have a ventilator]

Bad Krait/Mamba envenomation= Ventilator for respiratory failure

Bad Taipan envenomation = Ventilator for respiratory failure and antivenom for the non clotting blood

Bad Cobra envenomation = Ventilator for respiratory failure and antivenom for local swelling and effects. Symptoms from Cobra bites vary between the different types of cobras with some causing only local swelling and necrosis and no respiratory problems[ spitting cobras] while others cause both respiratory and local problems[ Indian Cobra and to a lesser extend the Thai Cobra] and others causing
respiratory problems with little/no local problems almost like a mamba or krait bite[ Phillipine Cobra]

 

[cement]

Are there Tai's likely to be found on the black market in New Jersey?
If so what would be the chances of getting antivenom for a bite from one?

 

[mmafan555]

Are there Tai's likely to be found on the black market in New Jersey?
If so what would be the chances of getting antivenom for a bite from one?

Their was actullay a crazy story where a snake handler in America was bitten by a coastal taipan on 9/11[ I kid you not] and survived. He was in respiratory failure and was put on a respirator to maintain his breathing and then they had to ship the anti venom in[ I forget from where] and being that it was 9/11 the government wouldn't let any planes leave. And the anti venom was across the country. His blood was so severely incoaugable that when they put it under the microscope they couldnt even recognize it as human blood. Eventually the government let them fly a small private plane out to get the anti venom and he survived.

I'll post more on it later.. It was featured on a show on animal planet

Heres a small part of the animal planet segment on the bite

I Was Bitten: 9/11 Snakebite : Video : Discovery Channel Channel

 

[cement]

Was this at a private collection or an institution?

It just defies belief that someone would keep these animals without prior knowledge of EXACTLY where to get anti venoms.
I wonder how solid a work safety plan he had for working with these snakes.