Khaberni - A Chinese man named Huang lost his left thumb due to a bite from his pet pit viper snake while attempting to feed it manually, according to the official Chinese channel «CCTV».
Huang said that he has been fascinated with snake keeping since his childhood, and recently, his pet snake lost the ability to eat on its own, which prompted him to attempt feeding it by hand, soon after which the snake bit him, severely damaging his thumb.
He added: «The venom caused blood clotting, which led doctors to decide to amputate my thumb after it became necrotic».
The incident sparked a wide discussion about the keeping of exotic pets in China, which has swept the country recently, and experts warned about their health risks.
Liu Wei, a doctor at the Shenzhen Center for Disease Control, stated that many of these animals carry pathogens, and could cause serious diseases, such as salmonellosis or rabies. He advised that children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with chronic illnesses, should avoid keeping such animals.
