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Posted by W von Papineäu on January 05, 2003 at 20:35:32:
WCMH-NBC4 (Columbus, Ohio) 05 January 03 Zookeeper Recovers From Cobra Bite - Snake Bites Man During Saturday Morning Feeding
Columbus, Ohio (AP): A zookeeper who was bitten by a Suphan cobra while feeding it dead rats remained hospitalized on Sunday.
Officials at the Columbus Zoo did not release the name of the man, who has 20 years of experience handling snakes. He was bitten at about 10 a.m. on Saturday and was in stable condition on Sunday at Riverside Methodist Hospital.
Zoo procedures resulted in a quick response, said Patty Peters, associate zoo director. A second keeper, Dean Badgley, who has 30 years of experience and is head of the reptile house, was about 10 feet away.
The zoo had 12 vials of anti-venom serum available and requested additional vials from zoos in Toledo and Kentucky. But Peters said half of the zoo's serum was sufficient.
Suphan cobras are native to central Thailand. The first U.S. captive birth was at the Columbus Zoo about 15 years ago.
The snakes are typically 3 to 5 feet long, but can be as long as 7 1/2 feet. Their venom is considered the most toxic among cobras, and they move quickly at mealtime.
Peters said Saturday's snakebite was the first that she was aware of in her 23 years at the zoo.
