Harare - A boy died after a puff adder slipped into his bed and bit him in a village in southern Zimbabwe, the Bulawayo-based Chronicle reported on Tuesday.
Moment Ngwenya, 10, rolled on top of the puff adder in the middle of the night. The snake - one of the most poisonous in southern Africa - bit him on the face four times. He died on his way to hospital.
“Moment was at home sleeping and it's suspected that the snake, called ibululu in isiNdebele had already sneaked into his room when he went to sleep,” Councillor Melusi Ndebele told the paper.
“It's said that around 1am he turned and slept on top of the snake which reacted by biting him.”
The fifth grade pupil was taken to hospital in the rural centre of Tsholotsho, 12km from his home. He died as he was being transferred from Tsholotsho to a clinic in Zimbabwe's second city of Bulawayo.
In December a 55-year-old man from southern Masvingo province died after he was bitten by a mamba - but not before telling his neighbours he wanted to see the snake dead.
Ten of his friends entered his dark hut and trapped and killed the snake.
Sapa