The world’s most poisonous snake can kill even an elephant, but there is one animal that survives, the horse!
Did you know? No matter how deadly a snake is, even the fearsome king cobra, a horse doesn’t die from its bite.
After the bite, the horse may become mildly ill for about three days, but then recover completely, as if nothing had happened.
This is one of nature’s most incredible wonders, and hidden within this very creature lies a secret that can save human lives: the antidote.
But how is this antivenom made?
First, the venom is collected from the snakes.
A small amount is then injected into the horse.
The horse’s immune system responds and produces antibodies to neutralize the venom.
After 2-3 days, these antibodies are present in the horse’s blood.
Blood is then drawn from the horse and the red blood cells (RBCs) are removed.
The plasma (the white part) is processed to create antivenom.
This antivenom is then injected into people who have been bitten by poisonous snakes to save their lives.
In India alone, there are numerous antivenom manufacturing facilities where hundreds of horses are cared for to produce this life-saving serum.
Think about it, thanks to this gentle creature, we are protected from some of the deadliest poisons on earth.
Without horses, many lives would be lost from a single snake bite.
