Exotic Animal Incident Report

Reported: Feb 01, 1996
Location: Hagerstown, Maryland

Animal: Gabon Viper
Animal Disposition: dead

Facility Type: Exotic Pet
Facility Name: unknown

Category: Attack resulting in human injury, Animal Death by human
Species: Reptile

Summary: A 28-year-old man was rushed to the hospital after being bitten by his “pet” Gabon viper. The man was giving the snake some water and was moving the bowl toward the snake when it attacked. The man was treated with antivenin and underwent surgery to repair severe damage to his hand. At the time of the incident, the man was president of the Western Maryland Herpetological Society. The snake was subsequently destroyed. This incident was one of several dangerous snakebites that occurred in the Washington, DC area in past 10 years.

Source: Washington Post