Bhubaneswar: A young man died after being bitten by a cobra while filming a social media reel with the reptile at his home in Odisha’s Puri district.

The incident took place at Kanthapur village under Puri Sadar police station limits yesterday. The deceased has been identified as Tapan Kumar Pradhan of the village.

As per reports, Tapan had experience in rescuing snakes and was known for catching venomous snakes whenever they entered houses in the area. His family members said he had rescued numerous snakes during his lifetime.

On Friday afternoon, Tapan was reportedly holding a cobra on the veranda of his house and recording a reel when the snake bit him on the fingers, elbow and upper arm.

Following the incident, Tapan's family members rushed him to a private hospital initially and later shifted to the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Puri, where doctors declared him dead.

Tapan was also active on Instagram, where he had uploaded several videos and reels featuring snakes.

On being informed, the Puri Sadar police reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the incident.

The incident highlights the dangers of handling venomous snakes for social media content, even for people with previous experience in catching them.