K.A. Ranjit, a school teacher who lives near Kochi, managed to peddle his bike 11 km with one of the world's most venomous snakes crouched inside his helmet. He only noticed the reptile after he had travelled a fair distance from his home and removed his helmet while stopped.
Fortunately, the snake, known as Common Krait and locally called a ‘Valavalappan’ or ‘Vellikettan’, had been crushed by his head and died before biting him, reports Mathrubhumi, a Malayalam newspaper in Kerala.
He was shocked to see the snake's tail hanging out from the helmet, and heaved a sigh of relief upon finding it dead. His colleagues took him to the nearest hospital for a detailed check-up, including a blood test, where it was confirmed that he hadn't been bitten.
“I think the snake might have got into the helmet from the pond near my house. But I never felt anything unusual while wearing it”, said Ranjith.