Pitbull saves family, dies of cobra bite

A pitbull died fighting a cobra in Karnataka's Hassan district, but not before he had cut the 12-feet-long snake into 11 pieces and saved a family and labourers from being attacked. The six-year-old pitbull, Bheema, had the fatal encounter with the cobra on Wednesday at the farmhouse of his owner, Shamanth Gowda. According to Gowda, Bheema had killed many venomous snakes in the past. But, this time he died after a 40-minute fight.

Around 3.15pm Wednesday, the cobra tried to sneak into Gowda's poultry farm. A few labourers and their children were playing at that time. The snake was hidden beneath coconut fronds when Ruby, a female doberman, spotted it and rushed to attack it. When Bheema noticed the snake, he jumped to save his friend. "The cobra bit Bheema near his nose, but he continued to fight the snake. After a 40-minute fight, he cut the snake into pieces and breathed his last," Gowda recalled.