A zookeeper at the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo died on Thursday, July 1, after being bitten by a king cobra. Harshad, who was 45 years old and was from Kattakada in Thiruvananthapuram, was bitten while cleaning the snake’s cage at around 1 pm. There were three king cobras in the cage, which were reportedly kept in the back cage. Usually, two people are tasked with cleaning the cage; however, due to COVID-19, the zoo only has skeletal staff.

According to other staff members, soon after being bitten, Harshad cried out and hit the door of the cage. When the others reached him, he was lying on the floor. Though he was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College hospital, he was pronounced dead there. Since the incident happened during lunch time, There weren’t many staff members around. Officials from the Museum police station visited the spot and conducted an inquiry into the matter.

The king cobra that bit Harshad was reportedly brought to Thiruvananthapuram from Mangaluru a few months ago. Harshad was an employee of the zoo for about 20 years, and was well experienced. He reportedly grew up around animals, as his family ran a street circus.

His body will be handed to his family after postmortem, on July 2. Harshad joined the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo in 2002 as a contract employee, and became a permanent employee only in 2015. He was in the news in 2015, after he locked himself inside a king cobra enclosure, protesting against not getting a permanent appointment even after working for 15 years under contract.

King cobras are the longest species of venomous snakes in the world. Their venom is highly toxic, and can kill up to 20 people with a single bite.

Accidents with animals are rarely reported from the Thiruvananthapuram Zoo. In 2003, Vijayakuman Ganagan, a 40-year-old animal keeper at the zoo, was attacked and killed by a rhinoceros.