Snake catcher dies of snake bite in Bengaluru

A snake catcher in Nelamangala succumbed to a snake bite while receiving treatment in a hospital for about a week. He was reportedly trying to catch a common cobra with his bare hands when the incident occurred.

Nelamangala: A 49-year-old snake catcher died of a snake bite on Monday after battling the poison for over a week. Identified as Lokesh M B, the deceased was bitten by a venomous cobra on August 17 when he had gone to rescue the reptile in Dabaspet of Nelamangala taluk at the request of a farmer. The poisonous cobra had bitten him twice on his right-hand finger during the rescue operation.

After releasing the cobra into a nearby forest, Lokesh was given emergency treatment at Nelamangala Private Hospital and sent to Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, where due to the lack of treatment, he succumbed leaving behind his wife and two children. A resident of Marutinagar, Nelamangala, Lokesh also owned a small hotel in Nelamangala named ‘Paramathma’. The snake rescuer also served as a vocalist in an orchestra and had even acted in serials. He was popularly known as Lokesh snake for being an expert snake catcher in the area.

According to an estimate, Lokesh caught about 35,000 snakes in his lifetime and released all of them safely into the forest. Being a lover of the environment and wildlife, Lokesh worked extensively for snake conservation. He didn't even charge for snake rescue operations, and was the go-to person for anyone who spotted a snake in the area.