Kerala's 'snake man' Vava Suresh recovering after deadly Cobra bite

The 'Snake man of Kerala', as Suresh is fondly called, has rescued thousands of snakes and has been bitten in the process numerous times.

Kerala's famous snake rescuer Vava Suresh, who was battling for life after a cobra bite, was moved to the ward from the Intensive Care Unit on Friday. Suresh was taken off the ventilator on Thursday.

Hospital medical bulletin said he can now speak well and his memory has returned. Brain function has returned to normal and he is breathing well. A special medical team, constituted by the state health department, is monitoring his health.

Suresh, a household name in Kerala, has so far rescued more than 50,000 reptiles. He has even figured in National Geographic and Animal Planet channels. The 'Snake man of Kerala', as Suresh is fondly called, has rescued more than 190 king cobras.

On January 31, the 48-year-old was bitten by a cobra while trying to rescue the snake from a human habitat in Kottayam's Kuruchi. He rushed to save the 10-foot cobra after receiving a frantic call for help. In 2020, Suresh faced a life and death situation and spent many days on a ventilator after a viper bit him.

Suresh was fascinated with snakes since childhood. He rescued his first snake at the age of 12 while he was on his way to school. He caught hold of the cobra, brought it home and kept the snake inside a bottle for 15 days. Three decades on, he is known to have rescued thousands of snakes and has been bitten in the process numerous times.

Suresh has been catching snakes as a social service and even assists the Kerala forest department. He has travelled to the remotest of towns in Kerala to rescue the snakes. There are viral YouTube videos that show him deftly handling the snakes and moving them off human habitats.

In one of his interviews, Suresh cited climate change and loss of habitat as the key reasons behind the human-snake encounters. His conservation attempts have been featured on international platforms like National Geographic and Animal Planet.