Man comatose after being bitten by alleged King Cobra in Kidapawan City

KIDAPAWAN CITY—A 62-year-old man has been fighting for his life since being bitten by an alleged King Cobra while resting inside his shanty in Barangay (village) Sumbac here on Monday.

Psalmer Bernalte, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), identified the victim as Bonifacio Digao.

Bernalte said Digao was bitten by an 8-foot-long King Cobra, which is known among locals as “banakon.” The serpent was later killed by the victim’s neighbors.

“The victim is now comatose at the Intensive Care Unit because of the venom from the snake that attacked him,” Mayor Joseph Evangelista said.

It was the first recorded King Cobra attack here this year, however, a 63-year-old woman was killed recently when a serpent attacked her in Barangay Kisante in Makilala, North Cotabato.

Evangelista urged residents of the city, especially those living near rubber plantations to be extra careful as King Cobras and other snake species—which were being driven out of their lairs because of the extreme heat—could seek refuge there. Temperature is always colder in rubber plantation areas, he said.

Furthemore, Evangelista said he had ordered the City Veterinary Office and the Public Safety Office to purchase anti-venom vaccines so they could immediately respond to snake bites. RAM

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