Woman in coma after cobra selfie

A woman has been taken to hospital in a coma after being bitten by a cobra whilst snapping a selfie.

BTJ09A

by Closer staff |
Published on

34-year-old Oliver Matveyev has been arrested in connection to the cobra enduced coma, as officers believe he was encouraging tourists exploring Russia to take a photo with the animal.

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According to reports, despite having spent years offering the snake snaps to sunbathers on the banks of the Kuban River in South Russia, Oliver had only started suggesting taking selfies recently, in response to the rise of the modern way to take photos.

The woman was taken to hospital in a coma after being bitten
The woman was taken to hospital in a coma after being bitten

Despite possessing the entrepreneurial spirit to adopt new photo-taking trends in his snake snapping business, what Oliver was allegedly lacking was a licence for the cobra. He also reportedly didn't have an antidote for snakebites or the idea to remove the animal's venom before letting people pose near it.

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Oliver is reported to have told police, "I don't understand it, the snake had never bitten anyone before".

The police are waiting for the woman to undergo a medical check up, but if the victim dies, Matveyev could be taken to court facing manslaughter or murder charges.

*Words by Emily Mitchinson

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