A PET shop worker was critically ill in hospital last night after being bitten by a king cobra.
Adam Ockwell, who is in his late twenties, was feeding the 9ft (3m) deadly snake at a shop near Bristol when it sank its fangs into his hand. His life was saved by the shop’s owner who ran outside and flagged down a police car which took him to hospital without waiting for an ambulance.
A full bite from a king cobra is capable of killing an adult within 15 minutes but doctors were able to stabilise Mr Ockwell’s condition while anti- venom was rushed to Bristol from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London by courier.
Last night Mr Ockwell was said to be in a critical condition in intensive care.
Mr Ockwell, who works at the Reptile Zone in Filton, near Bristol, was attacked at about 6pm on Tuesday just before the shop was due to close.
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Robert Bustard, a former president of the British Herpetological Society, said that the bite would have caused extreme pain and swelling.
He said: “He would be seriously ill very quickly. Breathing would become very difficult. He would begin vomiting within minutes and be running alternately hot and cold. He would quickly start shaking and could fall unconscious.
“The man is very lucky that he had help so quickly and that the hospital was close — those facts almost certainly saved him from a horrible death.”
Dr Bustard called for the Government to do more to regulate the possession of snakes such as the king cobra.
He said: “It is wrong and quite ridiculous that ordinary, non-professional people — and I include pet shop staff in that — are allowed to keep these snakes. There should be more restrictions on anyone keeping such dangerous animals.”
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Mr Ockwell was believed to be responding well to treatment last night.
There were about 15 glass tanks ranging in length from 3ft to 6ft inside the shop yesterday containing dozens of large snakes, including two 8ft carpet pythons, a boa constrictor and other dangerous reptiles.
The more venomous snakes are kept in a lock-up at the back of the store, to which only senior staff have access.
Anyone who keeps a king cobra needs to have a licence under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1974 or face a fine of up to £5,000.
The shop, which has been open since October, is fully licensed and its owner has had a dangerous wild animals licence for more than five years. Speaking yesterday, a shop assistant who refused to be named said: “We can’t make any comment about what’s happened, but we adhere to the strictest health and safety standards in everything we do here and this is certainly an isolated incident.”
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A spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset police said that the quick-thinking officer saved Mr Ockwell’s life.
She said: “A police officer was flagged down by the owner of a pet shop who said that someone had received a snake bite. The officer took the victim to hospital. According to hospital staff this saved his life. As far as we are aware the victim is not out of danger yet. No police investigation is required.”
KILLER THAT LOOKS YOU STRIGHT IN THE EYE