Snake Bit Man, Man Bit Snake Back—Which One Died?

A venomous snake bit a man in Nawada, Bihar, India, and the man decided to take matters into his own hands—or, uh, mouth. After the snake sunk its venomous fangs into his skin, the 35-year-old man, Santosh Lohar, grabbed the snake and bit it back. In fact, Lohar bit the snake three times.

Lohar told India Today: “In my village, there’s a belief that if a snake bites you, you must bite it back twice to neutralize the venom.”

The first two revenge bites were to neutralize the venom, then, and that third time must have been for good measure. But did it work?

India Today reports that the snake died after Lohar bit it. Meanwhile, Lohar is recovering in the hospital, and his attending physician says he is “out of danger.” No one seems to know what kind of snake it was, but India Today is using cobra photos to share the story on social media, so it’s possible the snake was a cobra.

Several cobra species live in India, and all are venomous. Cobra bites can be deadly, but with quick treatment, many people survive.

In Lohar’s case, the animal struck him as he was sleeping at a base camp with other laborers working on railway line project. After Lohar bit the snake back, his colleagues rushed him to a hospital.

Would you think to bite a snake back?