Tourist Dies After Cobra Slithers into His Pants and Bites Him During Hotel’s Snake Show

A holiday entertainment show at a Red Sea resort in Egypt ended in tragedy when a German tourist reportedly died after being bitten by a cobra during a live snake performance.

The 57-year-old man, who has not been publicly identified, was vacationing in Hurghada with two family members when the fatal incident occurred earlier this month.

According to multiple reports, the hotel had organised a snake-charming performance for guests, featuring two cobras handled by a performer who moved through the audience, allowing tourists to interact closely with the reptiles.

What began as a spectacle quickly turned catastrophic.

Authorities said one of the snakes allegedly slipped into the man’s trousers during the performance before biting him on the leg.

Witness accounts indicate the tourist rapidly showed signs of severe venom poisoning. Emergency efforts reportedly began immediately, with attempts to resuscitate him before he was rushed to hospital. Despite medical intervention, he later died.

The exact toxicology results are still pending, but the case has triggered investigations involving both German and Egyptian authorities.

Police in Bavaria confirmed the man was from Germany’s Unterallgäu region, while prosecutors in Memmingen are now examining the circumstances surrounding his death. Reports indicate the snake charmer is not currently under criminal investigation.

Cobras are among the world’s most venomous snakes, capable of delivering neurotoxic venom that can rapidly affect the nervous system, breathing, and heart function if not treated immediately.

The World Health Organization estimates that snakebites kill between 81,000 and 138,000 people globally each year, with many more suffering permanent disability.

The incident has also raised broader questions about tourist entertainment involving dangerous wildlife, particularly shows where audience members are encouraged to physically interact with potentially lethal animals.

For many travellers, snake-charming performances may appear exotic or thrilling, but wildlife experts have long warned that such displays can carry serious risks for both people and animals.

What was meant to be a holiday memory became a fatal reminder that wild animals, no matter how controlled they may appear in staged performances, remain unpredictable and dangerous. Behind the spectacle of entertainment can lie genuine risk — and in this case, a single moment of contact proved deadly.