Even though Nathan Chetcuti got bit, he plans to keep his inland Taipan snake.
The Australian reptile enthusiast who was bitten by an inland Taipan snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) November 6 has recovered. And he plans on keeping the snake, which is named Fang.
Nathan Chetcuti, 20, was cleaning the enclosure of his venomous reptile when the snake bit him. He was rushed to the hospital where he spent some time in a coma due to the effects of the venom on his body. Chetcuti told Nine.com.au that he is responsible for getting bit. He was cleaning the enclosures of his reptiles and was also feeding some of them, a practice that he never does, when he got bit.
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Aussie Reptile Enthusiast Bitten By Inland Taipan Snake
“He (Fang) could smell the rodents in the air and he just kind of went into his feeding frenzy,” Chetcuti said. “I readjusted my hand on the hook, and I wasn’t paying full attention to him and he spun around and got me. He wasn’t aggressive but he was just looking for his food really.”
He remained calm while being transported to the hospital and credits that demeanor for helping him to live.
“I managed to keep myself very calm in the situation and that probably gave me a lot more time to play with. But as for how close I was to not being here anymore it was very close,” Chetcuti said.
Chetcuti has been a reptile lover since he was five years old, when he acquired his first snake. His collection has since grown to more than 50 reptiles, including several venomous species.
After he fully recovers, Chetcuti said he wants to get back into the swing of things. “I’m more keen to get back into (snake handling) than I ever was, just to show that the passion is still there,” he told Nine.com.au. “Conservation is still the main thing on my mind and I want people to try and love and enjoy these animals as much as I do.”
