An eight-year-old boy in India bit and killed a cobra after the reptile wrapped itself around his arm and sank its fangs into his skin, The New Indian Express reported.

The boy, known only as Deepak, was attacked by the snake in the remote Pandarpadh village in India’s central Chhattisgarh region on Oct. 31.

Playing outside

Deepak was playing outside his family home when the incident happened.

After wrapping around Deepak's arm, the snake bit down on it, possibly exposing the boy to deadly poison.

Even though he was in pain, Deepak shook his arm but the reptile held firm.

The boy then decided to give the attacker a taste of its own medicine.

He bit into the body of the cobra, successfully killing it.

He told The New Indian Express: "As the reptile didn't budge when I tried to shake it off, I bit it hard twice. It all happened in a flash."

Bite did not contain venom

The boy's parents rushed him to a nearby medical centre where he was kept under observation.

An examination of Deepak's injury by doctors found that he sustained a "dry bite".

This meant that the cobra did not release any venom.

"Deepak didn't show any symptoms and recovered fast owing to the dry bite when the poisonous snake strikes but no venom is released," a snake expert told The New Indian Express.

Snakebites common in India

Snakebites are common in India.

A recent study published in 2022 revealed that more than 85 per cent of snakebite deaths recorded in 2019 occurred there.

Top photos via The New Indian Express & Unsplash