Middle schooler bitten by pet cobra, spotlighting illegal exotic pet ownership
A middle school student bitten by a cobra while trying to trade it illegally has been caught by police, raising concerns about illegal ownership of wild animals. According to the police, a 14-year-old boy in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, was bitten on the back of his hand by a cobra Tuesday, prompting an emergency call to 119. He showed signs of paralysis and was airlifted to the Armed…
A 14-year-old middle school student in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, was recently bitten by a cobra while attempting to sell the pet illegally, according to police sources. The incident occurred when the boy removed the snake from its cage, and the cobra bit him on the back of his hand. The boy exhibited symptoms of paralysis, leading to an immediate emergency call to 119.
He was subsequently airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where he received treatment with anti-venom. The cobra, a forest species, was obtained through an online community, a fact which the police are currently investigating. This act of illegally trading a wild animal is a violation of the Wildlife Protection and Management Act, which prohibits the trade and possession of such species.
The snake was identified as a designated wild animal under this law. The police are taking this case seriously and plan to determine the details of the snake's trade before deciding on any formal charges. This is the latest incident of someone in Korea being caught in possession of an exotic, dangerous wild animal. In July, a crocodile was rescued from a stream in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, and was later identified as a Siamese species.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
