Two-year-old Govinda Kumar has become the center of a jaw-dropping survival tale after killing a deadly cobra with a single bite during a terrifying encounter in Bankatwa village, Bihar, India. The toddler was playing near his home on Friday, July 25, 2025, when a three-foot spectacled cobra slithered into view — and the unimaginable happened.
Eyewitnesses say the snake lunged and coiled around the child’s hand, ready to strike. But instead of screaming or running, Govinda responded with primal instinct — clenching the cobra’s head in his mouth and biting down hard. According to his grandmother, Mateshwari Devi, the snake died on the spot from trauma to the head while the boy collapsed, unconscious from venom exposure.
Family members acted fast, rushing the unconscious child to a nearby health center before he was transferred to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) Bettiah. Dr. Saurab Kumar of the hospital’s pediatrics department said the venom didn’t enter the bloodstream, but the child had inflammation around his mouth due to oral exposure to the toxic fluid.
Doctors confirmed Govinda ingested venom through his digestive tract, an extremely rare route that — unlike a bite to the skin — didn’t trigger deadly neurotoxicity. After 48 hours of observation and anti-allergy treatment, he was declared stable and discharged on Saturday, July 27.
Medical professionals called the incident “unprecedented.” GMCH doctors usually treat five to six snakebites per month during India’s rainy season, but this is the first time a child has survived after biting and partially ingesting a venomous snake. Experts were also astonished the cobra died immediately, pointing to severe cranial trauma from the toddler’s bite.
India records over 58,000 snakebite deaths annually, with Bihar being one of the hardest-hit states. The “big four” — including the spectacled cobra — account for the majority of these fatalities. Rising urbanization and monsoon floods continue to push venomous snakes into human settlements, especially in rural areas like Bankatwa.
Wildlife experts and doctors warn that while Govinda’s survival is miraculous, the incident highlights the urgent need for public awareness and improved healthcare infrastructure in snake-prone regions. For now, the village hails the boy as a living miracle — the toddler who stared death in the face and bit back.
