Coimbatore: Famed snake rescuer dead

Coimbatore: A 52-year-old renowned snake rescuer of Coimbatore died on Tuesday in Kebbatti colony in Coimbatore. Snake Murugan, the  snake rescuer, was residing near Kembatti colony in Ukkadam. He could have died due to cobra bite, a source said  

He was a pioneer in handling venomous snakes in and around Coimbatore for the last 40 years. He had rescued more than thousands of snakes. Snake Murugan used a traditional technique to handle snakes; he had a herbal root called nagathali vaer. When he caught a snake, he would keep a piece of the root inside the mouth of the snake, and this would make the snakes unconscious. This was to prevent the snake panicking.

Snake Murugan had been bitten several times. As first aid, he would soak the herbal root in a cup of water for 2 minutes and drink it. Later, he would take anti venom medication.

Snake Murugan was sick for the past couple of days and died on Tuesday morning at his house. A snake handler told DC that Snake Murugan was bitten while handling a ferocious cobra and delayed taking anti-venom. A very small quantity of venom in the blood and delay in taking anti-venom at the right time was the reason for his death, he said.