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| Man bites snake in epic struggle | Man bites snake in epic struggle |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A Kenyan man bit a python who wrapped him in its coils and dragged him up a tree during a fierce three-hour struggle, police have told the BBC. | A Kenyan man bit a python who wrapped him in its coils and dragged him up a tree during a fierce three-hour struggle, police have told the BBC. |
| The serpent seized farm worker Ben Nyaumbe in the Malindi area of Kenya's Indian Ocean coast at the weekend. | The serpent seized farm worker Ben Nyaumbe in the Malindi area of Kenya's Indian Ocean coast at the weekend. |
| Mr Nyaumbe bit the snake on the tip of the tail during the exhausting battle in the village of Sabaki. | Mr Nyaumbe bit the snake on the tip of the tail during the exhausting battle in the village of Sabaki. |
| Police rescued Mr Nyaumbe and captured the 13ft (4m) reptile, before taking it to a sanctuary, but it later escaped. | Police rescued Mr Nyaumbe and captured the 13ft (4m) reptile, before taking it to a sanctuary, but it later escaped. |
| The victim told police he managed to reach his mobile phone from his pocket to raise the alarm when the python momentarily eased its grip after hauling him up a tree on Saturday evening. | The victim told police he managed to reach his mobile phone from his pocket to raise the alarm when the python momentarily eased its grip after hauling him up a tree on Saturday evening. |
| We want to arrest the snake because any one of us could fall a victim Peter KatamPolice superintendent | We want to arrest the snake because any one of us could fall a victim Peter KatamPolice superintendent |
| Mr Nyaumbe used his shirt to smother the snake's head and prevent it from swallowing him. | Mr Nyaumbe used his shirt to smother the snake's head and prevent it from swallowing him. |
| His employer arrived with police and villagers, who tied the python with a rope and pulled them both down from the tree with a thud. | His employer arrived with police and villagers, who tied the python with a rope and pulled them both down from the tree with a thud. |
| Peter Katam, superintendent of police in Malindi district, told the BBC News website: "Two officers on patrol were called and they found this man was struggling with a snake on a tree. | Peter Katam, superintendent of police in Malindi district, told the BBC News website: "Two officers on patrol were called and they found this man was struggling with a snake on a tree. |
| "The snake had coiled his hands and was trying to swallow him but he struggled very hard. The officers and villagers managed to rescue him and he was freed. | "The snake had coiled his hands and was trying to swallow him but he struggled very hard. The officers and villagers managed to rescue him and he was freed. |
| "He himself was injured on the lower lip of the mouth - it was bleeding a little bit - as the tip of the snake's tail was sharp when he said he bit it." | "He himself was injured on the lower lip of the mouth - it was bleeding a little bit - as the tip of the snake's tail was sharp when he said he bit it." |
| Mr Nyaumbe told the Daily Nation newspaper how he resorted to desperate measures after the python, which had apparently been hunting livestock, encircled his upper body in its coils. | Mr Nyaumbe told the Daily Nation newspaper how he resorted to desperate measures after the python, which had apparently been hunting livestock, encircled his upper body in its coils. |
| "I stepped on a spongy thing on the ground and suddenly my leg was entangled with the body of a huge python," he said. | "I stepped on a spongy thing on the ground and suddenly my leg was entangled with the body of a huge python," he said. |
| "I had to bite it." | "I had to bite it." |
| 'Very mysterious' | |
| Supt Katam told the BBC the officers had wanted to shoot the snake but could not do so for fearing of injuring Mr Nyaumbe. | Supt Katam told the BBC the officers had wanted to shoot the snake but could not do so for fearing of injuring Mr Nyaumbe. |
| "If it wasn't for the villagers and officers who helped him, he would have been swallowed by the snake over the Easter holiday," said Supt Katam. | "If it wasn't for the villagers and officers who helped him, he would have been swallowed by the snake over the Easter holiday," said Supt Katam. |
| He added: "It's very mysterious, this ability to lift the man onto the tree. I've never heard of this before." | He added: "It's very mysterious, this ability to lift the man onto the tree. I've never heard of this before." |
| The police officer said they took the snake to a sanctuary in Malindi town but it escaped overnight, probably from a gap under the door in the room where it was kept. | The police officer said they took the snake to a sanctuary in Malindi town but it escaped overnight, probably from a gap under the door in the room where it was kept. |
| "We are still seriously looking for the snake," said Supt Katam. "We want to arrest the snake because any one of us could fall a victim." | "We are still seriously looking for the snake," said Supt Katam. "We want to arrest the snake because any one of us could fall a victim." |