A 60-year-old farmer, identified only as Zhang, had a frightening experience after being bitten by a pit viper known locally as the “five-step snake.”

Another doctor, Dr. Ren Jinping, also examined Zhang and found that he was not showing the serious symptoms usually linked to severe snakebite poisoning. He did not have problems such as bleeding gums or difficulty breathing.

Zhang had feared for his life because of the snakebite and what he had seen happen to his neighbor. In the end, doctors confirmed that cutting off his finger had been unnecessary.