In TVM, a zookeeper died of a snakebite while cleaning the king cobra’s cage.

On Thursday, July 1, a zookeeper at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo died after being bitten by a king cobra. Harshad, 45, of Kattakada in Thiruvananthapuram, was bitten while cleaning the snake’s cage at around 1 p.m. The cage had three king cobras, which were purportedly kept in the back cage. Normally, two individuals are assigned to clean the cage; however, due to COVID-19, the zoo has only skeletal staff.

According to other staff members, Harshad shouted out and slammed the cage door shortly after being bitten. He was lying on the floor when the others arrived. Despite being taken to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, he was confirmed dead there. Because the incident occurred at lunch, there were few staff members there. Officials from the Museum police station went to the scene and investigated the incident.

According to reports, the king cobra that bit Harshad has transported to Thiruvananthapuram from Mangaluru a few months ago. Harshad had been at the zoo for about 20 years and was well-versed in its operations. He grew up around animals, according to reports, because his family ran a street circus.

On July 2, his body will be returned to his family following a postmortem. Harshad started as a contract employee at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo in 2002 and only became a permanent employee in 2015. He made headlines in 2015 when he barricaded himself inside a king cobra enclosure in protest of not being given a permanent position despite working for 15 years on contract.

King cobras are the world’s longest venomous snake species. Their venom is extremely poisonous, and a single bite can kill up to 20 people.

Accidents involving animals are uncommon at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. A rhinoceros assaulted and murdered Vijayakuman Ganagan, a 40-year-old animal keeper at the zoo, in 2003.