South Carolina Man Bitten by Worldโs Most Venomous Snake Kept as Pet
In an extraordinary and terrifying incident, a South Carolina man is currently fighting for his life after being bitten by an inland taipan โ considered to be the most venomous snake globally.
Handling Deadly Reptiles
The man, who has been identified as Jeffrey Leibowitz, is an enthusiastic patron of exotic reptiles. He gained some renown through his online videos, often showing him freely interacting with hazardous members of his collection. Earlier on the day of the incident, he published a video handling the deadly inland taipan while maintaining that he had the ability to control its movement. “I can control his turn… There’s no need to be so scared of him,โ he had asserted in the video.
A Dangerous Gambit
Following the distressing event, a subsequent search of his property revealed a total of 14 snakes, including a green mamba, two gaboon vipers, two black forest cobras, two neotropical rattlesnakes, a fer-de-lace, a death adder, an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, two other adult rattlesnakes of unknown species, a small juvenile rattlesnake (species unknown) and the infamous taipan.
Poison Potency
Jeff Camper, a renowned biologist and snake specialist at Francis Marion University, highlights the taipanโs extraordinary venom potency. According to Camper, a single bite from this snake is deadly enough to potentially “kill up to 100 people”.
Critical Condition
The potent venom had a devastating impact on Leibowitz. He is currently on a ventilator as his diaphragm is likely paralyzed, noted Camper. The expert added that the patient’s body might want to “shut down relatively soon”, anticipating possible long-term or even permanent organ damage.
A Specialist Predator
University of Queensland Australia Associate Professor Bryan Fry offered some insight into the taipanโs toxicity. “Taipans have evolved distinct strategies to absolutely nuke their incredibly formidable prey like the long-haired rats, offering them no chance of retaliation,” he explained.
Unwanted Guests
Local zoos or reptile areas expressed their inability to accommodate the animals due to unknown health and environmental concerns related to their living conditions and possible illnesses. Consequently, following a voluntary surrender from a family member, the venomous reptiles were handed over to law enforcement for euthanasia.
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