A 44-year-old man, who had been rescuing snakes for more than 15 years, died after he was bitten by a Russell’s viper while attempting to capture it in Coimbatore city late on Thursday.
S. Murali, a resident of Rajiv Gandhi Street at Edayarpalayam, died of a bite from the venomous snake at a printing unit at Kalappa Naicken Palayam in the city, where he had gone for a rescue.
The police said that Murali had been doing odd jobs and was engaged in the rescue of snakes. His wife worked as a saleswoman in a textile showroom. Murali went to a printing unit at Kalappa Naicken Palayam, after receiving a call for snake rescue around 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The police said two Russell’s vipers were found inside the printing unit and Murali managed to capture one and shift it into the rescue bag. However, he suffered a bite on his right leg while attempting to capture the second snake, they said.
Even after suffering the bite, he shifted the second snake into the bag, following which he fainted. Employees at the printing unit immediately alerted the government ambulance service. However, he died before the ambulance reached the spot.
The Vadavalli police rushed to the spot after receiving an alert and shifted the body to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. The police handed over the body to the family members on Friday.
A Forest Department official said the snakes rescued by Murali were released into the wild.
