Middle School Student Bitten on Hand by Pet Cobra in Apartment, Caught by Police

A middle school student in Cheongju who attempted to illegally trade a cobra he was raising was caught by police after calling 119 when he was bitten on the hand by the snake.

According to police and fire authorities, a report was received at around 11:25 AM on October 20 that a 14-year-old boy, surnamed A, had been bitten on the hand by a cobra at an apartment in Seowon-gu, Cheongju.

Boy A showed symptoms of paralysis and was transported by helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital, where he received antivenom treatment.

He is reportedly not in critical condition.

It was found that Boy A was bitten on the hand while taking out a forest cobra—a designated managed wild animal that he was raising—in order to sell it to someone else.

The import and possession of designated managed wild animals are prohibited in principle.

However, animals that pose no risk to public health or ecosystems can be designated on a white list and traded after reporting.

Boy A reportedly acquired and raised the cobra through an online community.

Police plan to investigate Boy A regarding how he obtained the cobra and whether it was properly reported, after which they will decide whether to book him on criminal charges.

(Photo provided by Yonhap News TV, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.