Bite kills Malaysia 'Snake King'

A snake charmer who made a name for himself as Malaysia's Snake King has died after being bitten by a king cobra.

Ali Khan Samsudin, 48, had entered the record books for locking himself in small spaces with hundreds of snakes or scorpions for days at a time.



The old adage "once bitten twice shy" simply did not apply to Mr Ali Khan.

According to local press reports, he had his first altercation with a king cobra 27 years ago.

So when, on Tuesday, one of his subjects inflicted what was just the latest of many bites, he had not been unduly worried.

However, two days later, his condition worsened suddenly and his family rushed him to hospital. He died before he could receive treatment.