Bitten on the Left Leg and Knee While Picking Mushrooms in the Forest
Survived After a Bare-Handed Struggle
A woman in her 40s from Thailand has become the center of attention after subduing a highly venomous king cobra with her bare hands, even after being bitten by it.
According to local Thai media such as Workpoint News on April 23, Supin Wanphen, 47, who lives in Sakaeo Province in southern Thailand, went to a eucalyptus forest near a reservoir with her relatives to pick mushrooms at around 9:30 a.m. on April 19. There, she encountered a king cobra. The king cobra lunged at Wanphen so quickly that she had no time to escape. As she fell backward, the snake bit her on her left leg and knee.
At the time of the incident, Wanphen did not have any weapons or tools such as a stick to subdue the snake, so she was forced to confront it with her bare hands. She first kicked and stepped on the king cobra's neck, then pinned it down. While holding down the snake's neck, Wanphen called out to her relatives for help. Her relatives then killed the snake, wrapped a cloth around Wanphen's wound, and rushed her to the hospital. The trip to the hospital took two and a half hours, but Wanphen remained conscious the entire time, carrying the dead snake in her arms. She did this so that the medical staff could identify the type of snake that had bitten her and prescribe the correct antivenom.
The dead snake weighed 4.6 kilograms and measured between 3 and 4 meters in length. As soon as Wanphen arrived at the hospital, doctors treated her wounds and administered antivenom, after which her condition improved. Despite sustaining a deep wound from the snake bite on her left leg, Wanphen reportedly remained calm throughout her treatment.
Wanphen's story became public when her friend shared the account on Facebook. Her friend posted photos of Wanphen and the snake, along with the message, "My friend Supin Wanphen is truly amazing. She went to pick mushrooms, was bitten by a king cobra, killed the snake with her bare hands, and brought it to the hospital. She's incredible. Supin is now out of the emergency room and her condition has improved." Netizens who saw the post left more than 1,000 comments, praising Wanphen's courage and remarkable determination.
Wanphen attributed her survival to "not losing composure under pressure and never giving up until the end," describing her recovery as a "miracle." She added, "The important thing is to stay calm and focus on fighting."
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