Toddler Bites Back: Indian Boy Kills Cobra in Act of Self-Defence

 

By Faith Cherop

In a remarkable and nearly mythical act of self-defence, a two-year-old boy in eastern India survived a deadly cobra attack — by biting the venomous snake to death.

Govinda Kumar, a toddler from Bankatwa village in Bihar's Madhubani district, stunned his family and the local community when he fought off a nearly metre-long cobra that had slithered dangerously close while he played near his home.

According to relatives, the child had initially thrown a brick at the snake, prompting the cobra to strike. In a shocking turn of events, the snake coiled itself around the boy's arm and bit him. Before anyone could react, Govinda retaliated instinctively — by biting the snake's head, killing it instantly.

“I was moving firewood near the house when the cobra appeared,” said Govinda’s grandmother. “We rushed towards the boy and saw he had taken the cobra’s head into his mouth. We quickly pulled it away from him.”

The toddler lost consciousness shortly after the encounter and was immediately taken to a nearby primary health care centre. From there, he was referred to the Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) in Madhubani.

Hospital superintendent Dr. Duvakant Mishra confirmed that the child was brought in following a cobra bite and an unusual case of snake mutilation by the victim himself.

“The venom’s effect was mild, likely due to a ‘dry bite’ — where no venom is released,” explained Dr. Saurabh Kumar, a physician at the hospital. “Timely treatment saved Govinda’s life.”

Govinda is currently recovering under medical supervision and is said to be out of danger.

The incident has sparked widespread astonishment across the region, with many lauding the child’s instinctive bravery — though medical experts and wildlife authorities urge caution and stress the dangers of engaging with snakes.

For now, Govinda remains blissfully unaware of the attention his snake encounter has attracted — having proven, quite literally, that even the smallest can bite back.

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Faith Cherop is a freelance journalist reporting on human interest and wildlife stories across South Asia.