Velayudhan dies of snake bite

KOZHIKODE, MAY 3: Snake charmer and herpatologist T Velayudhan, 53, popularly known as Pambu Velayudhan, who had once held the audience sp...

KOZHIKODE, MAY 3: Snake charmer and herpatologist T Velayudhan, 53, popularly known as Pambu Velayudhan, who had once held the audience spellbound by spending several hours in the company of poisonous snakes, died at the Medical College Hospital in the wee hours of today following snake bite.

Velayudhan was admitted to the hospital on April 28 after he was bitten by a cobra which he had captured from Beypore. The cobra slithered from his hand while he was feeding it and bit his ankle.

Velayudhan was rushed to the Medical College Hospital. However, the poison which soon affected his kidneys hastened the end.

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Thamaliparamba Velayudhan, a peon with the KSEB, shot into fame when he conducted prodigious feats in the company of poisonous snakes in a glass chamber here in the early ’80s. He had been bitten by his pets several times during these feats.

He had spent 683 hours with more than 100 poisonous snakes at the stadium ground here in August 1980 creating a record.

Velayudhan had later moved to Olavanna and had set up a centre in his house for conducting studies on snake venom. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. Though he had groomed his daughter to continue his tradition, she soon gave it up after being bitten by a snake.

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