KUALA LUMPUR: A man who was helping his friend, an exotic pet keeper, was killed by a puff adder, a highly venomous snake brought in from the African continent.
The snake was said to have been on the loose after it bit its keeper on Friday, and an attempt to capture it proved futile as local snake experts wanted to prevent the serpent from escaping into the wild.
Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Khaldun Ismail from Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Department of Emergency Medicine said this was the first recorded case of a snakebite envenoming from this species in Malaysia.
"There were two previous cases of bite envenoming from exotic snakes (rattlesnakes) in the past that we know of," he said.
The male victim in his 30s was from Selangor.
Dr Khaldun said the victim was bitten on both his right and left hand, which caused a high venom load leading to a more severe envenomation syndrome.
"The victim died 23 hours post-incident while the antivenom (Antivipmyn-Africa) was being procured from the Singapore Zoo.
"It is possible the snake is still in the owner's possession and hidden somewhere.
"The doctors were told by the victim and the owner that they were busy trying to save the victim. They did not know where it went.
"This is the current level of safety and health-seeking mentality of related authorities and our public that we are facing in Malaysia. A really sad state of affairs.
"This incident highlights the danger of keeping exotic venomous animals without proper documentation and registration with the authorities," he told the New Straits Times.
Puff adder (Bitis arietans) is estimated to cause over 40,000 deaths annually in Africa and without appropriate clinical management and anti-venom, the outcome is poor.
"This tragic incident serves as a reminder of the essential need for anyone keeping (legally or not) a medically significant species, to have a plan including access to the appropriate and adequate anti-venom.
"However, it is entirely inappropriate to expect any medical facility in the country to stock exotic animals' anti-venoms or to get it from zoos.
"It is the responsibility of the one bringing in the exotic venomous species, to also bring in the appropriate and adequate anti-venom for the exotic species."
He said an Act for the protection, preservation and management of wildlife for maintaining a healthy ecosystem and safeguarding public safety and health, and for related matters need to be introduced.
Dr Teo Eng Wah, senior lecturer, Universiti Malaya, who is a co-author of a book on snakes in Malaysia, said he was asked to look out for the snake.
"The snake could be anywhere after two days and I am not even sure if the snake had escaped," said Dr Teo who is a sports scientist by profession but helps the government in snake related issues.