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FL-Cobra man talks
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by tigers9 on October 28, 2008
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http://cbs4.com/local/homestead.snake.bite.2.850256.html
video
Oct 28, 2008 1:23 pm US/Eastern
Man Bitten By King Cobra Talks About Ordeal
Venom From A King Cobra Can Kill An Elephant
It's Been 15 Years Since Miami-Dade Anti-Venom Unit Has Treated Anyone For A King Cobra Bite In South Florida
HOMESTEAD (CBS4) ¯ A Homestead man bitten by a King Cobra snake and hospitalized has been upgraded to good condition two days after the potentially deadly bite. From his hospital bed on Tuesday, Albert Killian said he's been attacked more than 60 times in his career but, "This is the most painful of all of them."
He explained how the 13-foot-long cobra bit him at a Homestead wildlife center on Sunday, "What he did, he grabbed me, and when I felt its fangs, I automatically pulled my hand out of its mouth."
Killian, 52, is an experienced snake handler and a volunteer at the Everglades Outpost, a wildlife rescue sanctuary. He was cleaning the cobra's cage when the snake bit him.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital where Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Anti-Venom Unit was waiting with fifty vials of anti-venom. As the snake's poison worked its way up Killian's arm, close to thirty vials were used until the progression of the poison was stopped.
The King Cobra's poison affects the central nervous system and the respiratory system. Doctors watched his condition very closely to make sure he didn't suffer internal bleeding or respiratory failure. King Cobra venom is complicated and deadly.
Miami-Dade's Fire-Rescue Chief Al Cruz says not too many people survive a bite from a King Cobra. "The snake has enough venom to drop a full grown elephant."
Cruz also said it's been about 15 years since they've treated a King Cobra bite in South Florida. The snake is not native to South Florida. They're found mostly in Asian countries, such as Thailand and India. There are only a few of them located in animal sanctuaries throughout South Florida.
Killian is expected to be released from the hospital in a few days and says he'll be back to work in a few weeks.
Ironically, Killian was bitten by a Black Mambo snake in 1998 and he is the reason that Miami-Dade Fire Rescue developed an anti-venom unit.
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RE: FL-Cobra man talks
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by tj on October 29, 2008
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Glad he's doing well. I wish these guys would slow down and take it easy.
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