jporterfi From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 358 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (5 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 7314 times:
I'd say the passenger got what he deserved! Why the heck was he trying to smuggle a snake into Kuwait, anyway? Is there a black market for snakes in the Middle East?
Exotic animals are quite popular among Gulf Arabs... so probably there is a black market (assuming it was an "exotic" snake)... for instance you can see locals strolling with their (popular) Siberian Huskies.
PHX787 From Japan, joined Mar 2012, 4947 posts, RR: 15 Reply 3, posted (5 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 7285 times:
Quoting SCQ83 (Reply 3): Exotic animals are quite popular among Gulf Arabs... so probably there is a black market (assuming it was an "exotic" snake)... for instance you can see locals strolling with their (popular) Siberian Huskies.
It was indeed a king cobra, according to reports
I think the pax who stamped out his snake had it with that.
BreninTW From Taiwan, joined Jul 2006, 1446 posts, RR: 1 Reply 5, posted (5 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 7065 times:
I don't recall if they mentioned the condition of the pax.
Yes, it can be fatal to humans. A lot depends on how old the snake was ..juvenile snakes aren't generally capable of delivering a fatal dose of venom to humans, adult snakes can.
[Edited 2012-12-04 23:03:31 by SA7700]
I'm tired of the A vs. B sniping. Neither make planes that shed wings randomly!
SOBHI51 From Saudi Arabia, joined Jun 2003, 3009 posts, RR: 17 Reply 8, posted (5 months 2 weeks 2 days ago) and read 6670 times:
Quoting BreninTW (Reply 4): I heard this on the radio yesterday ... apparently it was a Cape Cobra which is a highly venomous snake.
According to Egyptian newspapers, the plane diverted to Ghurdaka airport so the passenger can get medical help but he refused saying he was ok health wise and the plane then continued it's flight to Kuwait
quiet1 From Thailand, joined Apr 2010, 291 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 6521 times:
Quoting BreninTW (Reply 5): A lot depends on how old the snake was ..juvenile snakes aren't generally capable of delivering a fatal dose of venom to humans, adult snakes can.
Adult cobras have the ability to meter the amount of venom they inject, and can in fact even make "dry" bites with no venom. Adults, unless cornered and fighting for their life, will not "waste" their venom on a human, which they cannot eat. Adolescent cobras, however, don't have the ability to control the amount of venom injected, they inject a full lethal dose of venom with every bite.
Cobras, as most snakes here in Thailand (with the exception of the Malayan pit viper) and basically non-agressive. If you leave an obvious escape route for the snake, it will make a hasty exit. It is recommended when hiking through fields/jungles (or even tall grass in your front yard) to stomp heavily and make lots of noise to alert snakes and they will flee your path. Corner one in your kitchen and swing at it with a garden hoe, and you're in deep trouble.
raffik From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2006, 1640 posts, RR: 4 Reply 10, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 6417 times:
That has made my skin crawl! That would be horrifying but I feel that it serves the passenger right- he shouldn't have smuggled it out of the country.
I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it was for the passenger to strap the snake to his leg in the first place without being bitten. What if it had crawled up his trousers and gone for his meat and two veg?
sweair From Sweden, joined Nov 2011, 1550 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 6322 times:
I can´t stand snakes and to have one in a confined space would make me feel even worse, imagine a cobra hanging from the ceiling in an aircraft...yikes! No its not an oxygen mask..
tonymctigue From Ireland, joined Feb 2006, 1874 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 6231 times:
Quoting sweair (Reply 11): What if it had crawled up his trousers and gone for his meat and two veg? Wow!
Or worse still, what if you were the poor random passenger who had the misfortune to be allocated te seat beside this guy only to discover the secret hidden inside his pants (no inuendo intended!). Kind of situation that you'd simply refuse to believe if you found yourself in it. Just as long as the idiot who tried this was the one who got bitten and not some poor innocent passenger beside him.
Next Flights CX178 MEL-HKG; CX257 HKG-LHR; EI387 LHR-SNN
GSPflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 351 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 6123 times:
Quoting tonymctigue (Reply 13): Or worse still, what if you were the poor random passenger who had the misfortune to be allocated te seat beside this guy only to discover the secret hidden inside his pants (no inuendo intended!).
"Is there a snake in your pants, or are you just excited to see me? Oh, that really is a snake."
In all seriousness, how in the Hell did he strap a highly venomous snake to his leg without getting bit? I mean, wouldn't the snake bite someone who is trying to strap it to their leg? I know (older) venomous snakes can usually control how much venom they can inject and simply inject a "warning" bite, but that would just happen when someone is trying to pick it up. I thought this would be past the warning stage and well into the self-defense stage.
JOYA380B747 From India, joined Mar 2005, 425 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 5768 times:
Oh c'mon isn't there a chance that the snake was de-venomized before he strapped himself with it. Pet snakes always get their venoms removed. Because if it wasn't the pax who was bitten would've been dead no question, thats a cobra and yes their bites are almost always fatal if untreated. We get to see hundreds of such cases in my hospital.
If it wasn't for AI and those money mongers sitting in the parliament, 9W would have been as big as SQ...:(
ETinCaribe From Ethiopia, joined Dec 2009, 617 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (5 months 2 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 3756 times:
Should have brought "Snake for Dummies" along.
Quoting quiet1 (Reply 9): Adult cobras have the ability to meter the amount of venom they inject, and can in fact even make "dry" bites with no venom. Adults, unless cornered and fighting for their life, will not "waste" their venom on a human, which they cannot eat. Adolescent cobras, however, don't have the ability to control the amount of venom injected, they inject a full lethal dose of venom with every bite.
Cobras, as most snakes here in Thailand (with the exception of the Malayan pit viper) and basically non-agressive. If you leave an obvious escape route for the snake, it will make a hasty exit. It is recommended when hiking through fields/jungles (or even tall grass in your front yard) to stomp heavily and make lots of noise to alert snakes and they will flee your path. Corner one in your kitchen and swing at it with a garden hoe, and you're in deep trouble.
Great stuff, who knew I could learn about snakes on A.net. Thanks for the tips, may come in handy at some point in life.
Quoting IndianicWorld (Reply 12): Sounds like he wanted to be part of the Darwin Awards
He gets my vote.
Quoting tonymctigue (Reply 13): only to discover the secret hidden inside his pants (no inuendo intended!).
Quoting GSPflyer (Reply 14): "Is there a snake in your pants, or are you just excited to see me? Oh, that really is a snake."
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I'd say the passenger got what he deserved! Why the heck was he trying to smuggle a snake into Kuwait, anyway? Is there a black market for snakes in the Middle East?
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