RICHMOND, Va. — Officers with the Virginia State Police raced against time to deliver anti-venom to a hospital after a man was bitten by his own pet pit viper.
State police told WRIC the victim was initially taken to VCU Medical Center on Saturday night after his African Pit Viper bit him.
The African Pit Viper, also known as Gaboon viper, is one of the world’s largest and heaviest vipers. The African Pit Viper boasts the longest fangs of any venomous snake, and the highest venom yield of all venomous snakes, according to the Los Angeles Zoo. While the vipers are known to be largely docile, their bites are often fatal.
The victim, who is from Richmond, was initially given an anti-venom treatment from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., but WRIC reported that more anti-venom was needed to save his life. Virginia State Police were brought in to get more anti-venom to the hospital from the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach, which was providing 35 more doses of anti-venom.
While the anti-venom was successfully delivered, the victim’s condition has not been released.
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