Buzz
As reported by his colleagues, Edward Horatio Girling lacked significant experience with snakes when he began his role as a zookeeper at the London Zoological Gardens in 1852. This inexperience likely contributed to his unawareness of the deadly consequences of combining alcohol with venomous reptiles.
To provide context, a study published in the journal Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (referenced here) details how Girling spent October 19, 1852, bidding farewell to a friend departing for Australia with excessive drinking:
Alongside Edward Stewart, a temporary zoo worker, they indulged in an all-night celebration. They consumed three pints of beer at the friend’s residence before heading to a pub on Shoe Lane, where they drank gin until 8 a.m. They then proceeded directly to work, where Stewart, likely still under the influence, was assigned to the safer hummingbird enclosure.
Sadly, Girling wasn’t assigned to hummingbirds—his duties involved snakes. Stewart discovered his friend wandering around the reptile enclosure, clutching the relatively harmless Morocco Snake.
Ignoring his friend’s objections, Girling draped the snake around Stewart, exclaiming, “I am inspired!” Stewart crouched down, pleading that the snake might bite him at any second. Eventually, Girling gave in and returned the snake to its enclosure.
However, the reckless behavior continued. Stewart had gone back to the hummingbirds when he heard Girling shout, “Now for the cobra!” Returning to the reptile house, Stewart could only watch as Girling placed the cobra inside his waistcoat. The snake coiled around the intoxicated man’s body, and when Girling attempted to grab it, the cobra bit him five times on the nose.
Girling was quickly taken to University College Hospital, but upon arrival, his head had swollen, and his face had turned black. Within thirty-five minutes, the zookeeper was pronounced dead. While doctors analyzed his infected blood to advance medical knowledge, this incident serves as a stark reminder: Never handle cobras while under the influence.
