Middle schooler bitten by pet cobra, spotlighting illegal exotic pet ownership
A 14-year-old middle school student in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, was bitten by a cobra while trying to sell it illegally. The incident happened on Tuesday and led to an emergency call to 119. The boy showed signs of paralysis and was airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where he received anti-venom treatment.
According to police, the boy was bitten on the back of his hand when he removed the cobra from its cage to sell it to another person. The snake was a forest cobra that he had obtained through an online community. Under South Korea's Wildlife Protection and Management Act, the species is a designated wild animal, and keeping or trading it is generally prohibited.
Police plan to investigate how the cobra was traded before deciding whether to formally book the boy. The incident has raised concerns about the illegal ownership and sale of dangerous wild animals in South Korea.
In another case, a crocodile found in a stream in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, in July was identified as a Siamese crocodile. The species is listed as a Class 1 internationally endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Police booked a man in his 30s for keeping the crocodile, which he had purchased for 1.2 million won through an online reptile-trading community in 2023.
South Korea has previously imposed prison sentences for illegally keeping dangerous animals. In 2016, a social media personality was sentenced to four months in prison for keeping a Siamese crocodile at home for eight years. The person had fed the crocodile rabbits and other animals. These cases highlight the legal and safety concerns associated with illegally owning and trading protected wildlife.
Edited using generative AI tools.
Source:https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20261023/middle-schooler-bitten-by-pet-cobra-spotlighting-illegal-exotic-pet-ownership
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