# Animal myths and facts: true or false?

> Are tokay geckos venomous, bats blind, or will birds reject a chick a person has touched? Short answers to popular animal myths in Indonesia, with scientific sources.

Source: https://panduanhewan.org/en/learn/animal-myths-and-facts/ · Updated 1 October 2026 · English · Bahasa Indonesia: https://panduanhewan.org/id/belajar/mitos-dan-fakta-hewan/
_This Markdown mirror is generated at build time from the same data as the HTML page. Cite the HTML page URL and its update date._

### Myth: If a person touches a fallen baby bird, its parents will reject it because of the human scent.

**salah.** False. Most birds have a poor sense of smell, so parents do not reject a chick because of human scent. Disturbance, not smell, is what drives parents away.

Sources: [Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Ask a Wildlife Biologist, Will a Mother Abandon Her Young If Handled (2009)](https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=426) · [RSPCA: Baby birds](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/birds/baby)

### Myth: Sprinkling salt, sulphur or mothballs around the house keeps snakes from coming in.

**salah.** False. A BRIN herpetologist says salt does not work, and trials of sulphur and naphthalene (mothballs) did not repel snakes. The advice is to remove hiding places and rats around the house instead.

Sources: [CNN Indonesia: Kata Ahli Soal Mitos Garam Bisa Usir Ular: Tidak Efektif (BRIN herpetologist Amir Hamidy, 23 Nov 2021)](https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20211123144432-199-724973/kata-ahli-soal-mitos-garam-bisa-usir-ular-tidak-efektif) · [Colorado State University Extension: Coping With Snakes (peer-reviewed fact sheet, reviewed Aug 2025)](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/coping-with-snakes/) · [Colorado State University Extension: Coping With Snakes (repellents and prevention)](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/coping-with-snakes/) · [Colorado State University Extension: Coping With Snakes (prevention)](https://extension.colostate.edu/resource/coping-with-snakes/)

### Myth: You can always spot a venomous snake by its triangular head or slit-shaped pupils.

**salah.** False. WHO says there is no simple rule for identifying a dangerous venomous snake. The highly venomous Javan spitting cobra and Malayan krait have rounded heads. Treat every snake as dangerous and keep away.

Sources: [WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: Guidelines for the Management of Snakebites, 2nd edition (2016), section 3.3](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/who-guidance-on-management-of-snakebites.pdf) · [WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: Guidelines for the Management of Snakebites, 2nd edition (2016), harmless mimics](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/who-guidance-on-management-of-snakebites.pdf) · [Kementerian Kesehatan RI: Pedoman Penanganan Kasus Gigitan/Sengatan Hewan Berbisa dan Keracunan Tumbuhan dan Jamur (Ditjen P2P), ular weling](https://www.badankebijakan.kemkes.go.id/repositori/id/eprint/5609/1/PED-Penangganan-Gigit-Sengat-Hewan-Berbisa-Racun-Tumbuhan-Jamur%20(1).pdf) · [Kementerian Kesehatan RI: Pedoman Penanganan Kasus Gigitan/Sengatan Hewan Berbisa dan Keracunan Tumbuhan dan Jamur (Ditjen P2P), identifikasi ular](https://www.badankebijakan.kemkes.go.id/repositori/id/eprint/5609/1/PED-Penangganan-Gigit-Sengat-Hewan-Berbisa-Racun-Tumbuhan-Jamur%20(1).pdf)

### Myth: Tokay geckos are venomous, their bite only lets go when thunder strikes, and they can be used to cure HIV/AIDS.

**salah.** False. Tokay geckos are not venomous, but their jaws are strong and a bite is hard to release, which is where the thunder myth comes from. There is no evidence they cure HIV/AIDS.

Sources: [Mongabay Indonesia: Tokek dan Kelirunya Persepsi Kita (with LIPI reptile researcher Awal Riyanto, 14 Dec 2015)](https://mongabay.co.id/2015/12/14/tokek-dan-kelirunya-persepsi-kita/) · [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Tokay gecko](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/tokay-gecko) · [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: Tokay gecko (bite)](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/tokay-gecko) · [Kementerian Kesehatan RI: HIV Ada Obatnya, ARV Disediakan Gratis Oleh Pemerintah (5 Dec 2017)](https://kemkes.go.id/id/%20hiv-ada-obatnya-arv-gratis-pemerintah)

### Myth: House geckos (cicak) are poisonous, so a gecko or its droppings falling into food can poison you.

**sebagian-benar.** Partly true. House geckos are not venomous and are harmless to people, but they can carry Salmonella bacteria. The risk is food hygiene, not poison.

Sources: [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Hemidactylus frenatus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Hemidactylus_frenatus/) · [Nguyen et al. 2021, Wild geckos considered as the natural reservoir of Salmonella Weltevreden in Southeast Asian countries (Zoonoses and Public Health)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34151522/) · [Nguyen et al. 2021, Wild geckos considered as the natural reservoir of Salmonella Weltevreden in Southeast Asian countries (Zoonoses and Public Health), conclusion](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34151522/) · [Salmonella carriage by geckos detected within households in Malawi (One Health, 2024)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11359967/) · [WHO: Five keys to safer food](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/infographics-pdf/food-safety/five-keys-to-safer-food.pdf)

### Myth: Touching a toad gives you warts.

**salah.** False. Warts are caused by a human virus (human papillomavirus) that spreads between people, not from toads. But the Asian common toad is toxic, so do not handle or eat it.

Sources: [NHS: Warts and verrucas](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/warts-and-verrucas/) · [Forest Preserve District of Will County: Myth buster: Frogs and toads don't cause warts (3 Feb 2020)](https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/headlines/news/myth-buster-frogs-and-toad-don-t-cause-warts) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Duttaphrynus melanostictus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Duttaphrynus_melanostictus/) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Duttaphrynus melanostictus, physical description](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Duttaphrynus_melanostictus/)

### Myth: Bats are blind, which is why they rely only on sound to fly.

**salah.** False. Bats are not blind. Their eyes are small but very sensitive in dim light, and the large flying fox navigates by sight rather than echolocation, finding food by sight and smell.

Sources: [U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) FAQ: Are bats blind?](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/are-bats-blind) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Pteropus vampyrus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pteropus_vampyrus/) · [U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) FAQ: What do bats eat?](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-do-bats-eat) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Pteropus vampyrus, physical description](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pteropus_vampyrus/)

### Myth: Slow lorises are cute, tame and harmless, so they make good pets.

**salah.** False. The Sunda, Javan and Bornean slow lorises are protected by law, and slow lorises are venomous mammals. Illegally traded lorises routinely have their teeth clipped, which often kills them.

Sources: [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (Lorisidae, no. 73-75)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Undang-Undang No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990, Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf a (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/354517/UU%20Nomor%2032%20Tahun%202024.pdf) · [Fitzpatrick, Ligabue-Braun & Nekaris 2023, Slowly Making Sense: A Review of the Two-Step Venom System within Slow and Pygmy Lorises (Toxins)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10536643/) · [Fitzpatrick, Ligabue-Braun & Nekaris 2023, Toxins (two-step venom system)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10536643/) · [Fitzpatrick, Ligabue-Braun & Nekaris 2023, Toxins (venom pose)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10536643/) · [Muldani, Llano Sanchez & Farey 2024, Anaphylaxis following a slow loris bite occurring in an area of forest fragmentation (BMJ Case Reports; West Kalimantan)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11590447/) · [Nekaris et al. 2013, Tickled to Death: Analysing Public Perceptions of 'Cute' Videos of Threatened Species (Slow Lorises) on Web 2.0 Sites (PLoS ONE)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3722300/)

### Myth: Komodo dragons kill their prey with deadly bacteria in their saliva.

**salah.** False. A 2009 study in PNAS rejected the toxic-bacteria idea and found that Komodo dragons have venom that stops blood clotting and induces shock in badly wounded prey.

Sources: [Fry et al. 2009, A central role for venom in predation by Varanus komodoensis (Komodo Dragon) and the extinct giant Varanus (Megalania) priscus (PNAS)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690028/) · [Fry et al. 2009, PNAS (venom activity)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2690028/) · [Goldstein et al. 2013, Anaerobic and aerobic bacteriology of the saliva and gingiva from 16 captive Komodo dragons: new implications for the "bacteria as venom" model (Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23805543/) · [Goldstein et al. 2013, Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine (results)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23805543/) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (no. 724)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf)

### Myth: Porcupines can shoot their quills at enemies.

**salah.** False. Porcupines cannot shoot their quills. Quills are modified hairs that come loose easily, so they stick in an attacker on contact or when the porcupine charges backwards into it.

Sources: [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Porcupine](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/porcupine) · [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Porcupine (loose quills)](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/porcupine) · [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Porcupine (Old World porcupine defence)](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/porcupine) · [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Porcupine (wounds)](https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/porcupine) · [Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute: North American porcupine](https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/north-american-porcupine) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (no. 71)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf)

### Myth: Owls bring bad luck or foretell a death, so they should be driven away.

**salah.** False. This is a cultural belief, not a scientific fact. The barn owl (Tyto alba) is actually used as a natural predator of rats in rice fields and oil palm plantations.

Sources: [Kementerian Pertanian, BBPPTP Medan (Ditjen Perkebunan): Pengembangan Burung Hantu (Tyto alba javanica Gmel) dalam Pengendalian Hama Tikus (17 Mei 2023)](https://balaimedan.ditjenbun.pertanian.go.id/pengembangan-burung-hantu-tyto-alba-javanica-gmel-dalam-pengendalian-hama-tikus/) · [Kementerian Pertanian, BBPPTP Medan (Ditjen Perkebunan): Pengembangan Burung Hantu (Tyto alba javanica Gmel) dalam Pengendalian Hama Tikus, mitos](https://balaimedan.ditjenbun.pertanian.go.id/pengembangan-burung-hantu-tyto-alba-javanica-gmel-dalam-pengendalian-hama-tikus/) · [Thongratsakul et al. 2026, Nest Box Condition and Maintenance of Barn Owls (Tyto alba) in Tropical Oil Palm Plantations (Animals)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13023257/)

### Myth: Cats need cow's milk to stay healthy.

**salah.** False. Many adult cats cannot digest lactose properly and can get digestive problems from dairy. A cat's main drink should be clean water, not cow's milk.

Sources: [Cornell Feline Health Center (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine): Feeding Your Cat](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feeding-your-cat) · [Cats Protection: Are cats lactose intolerant?](https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/are-cats-lactose-intolerant) · [RSPCA: Cat diet](https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/cats/diet)

### Myth: Rabies only comes from dog bites, so bites or scratches from cats and monkeys are nothing to worry about.

**salah.** False. Dogs are the main source, but Indonesia's Ministry of Health also names bats, cats and monkeys as rabies spreaders. Any bite or scratch from these animals needs prompt care at a health facility.

Sources: [Kementerian Kesehatan RI (Ditjen Kesehatan Lanjutan): Mengenal Penyakit Rabies](https://keslan.kemkes.go.id/view_artikel/2531/mengenal-penyakit-rabies) · [WHO fact sheet: Rabies](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies) · [WHO fact sheet: Rabies (transmission)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies) · [WHO fact sheet: Rabies (prevention)](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies) · [Kementerian Kesehatan RI: Tingkatkan Kewaspadaan! Kemenkes Imbau Penguatan Pencegahan Rabies di Masyarakat dan Fasilitas Kesehatan (20 Mar 2025)](https://kemkes.go.id/eng/tingkatkan-kewaspadaan-kemenkes-imbau-penguatan-pencegahan-rabies-di-masyarakat-dan-fasilitas-kesehatan)

### Myth: Pangolin scales have medicinal powers.

**salah.** False. Pangolin scales are made of keratin, the same material as fingernails and hair, and have no proven medicinal value. Pangolins are protected, and trading their scales is illegal.

Sources: [National Geographic: Pangolin facts and information](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/pangolins) · [Pangolin scales as adaptations for innate immunity against pathogens (BMC Biology, 2024)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11472485/) · [China's Legal Protection System for Pangolins: Past, Present, and Future (Animals, 2025)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12383201/) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (no. 84)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Undang-Undang No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990, Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf c (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/354517/UU%20Nomor%2032%20Tahun%202024.pdf) · [Gakkum Kehutanan: Tahan WNA Vietnam, Ungkap Penyelundupan 796,34 kg Sisik Trenggiling di Pelabuhan Merak Banten (13 Apr 2026)](https://gakkum.kehutanan.go.id/siaran-pers/detail/gakkum-kehutanan-tahan-wna-vietnam-ungkap-penyelundupan-79634-kg-sisik-trenggiling-di-pelabuhan-merak-banten)

### Myth: Rhino horn has medicinal powers.

**salah.** False. Rhino horn is made of keratin fibres, the same material as fingernails and hair, and there is no scientific evidence that it works as medicine. Javan and Sumatran rhinos are protected by law.

Sources: [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers: Rhinoceros](https://sdzwildlifeexplorers.org/animals/rhinoceros) · [San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers: Rhinoceros (hunting)](https://sdzwildlifeexplorers.org/animals/rhinoceros) · [International Rhino Foundation: How Long Can a Rhino's Horn Grow? (Sectionov, Indonesia Liaison)](https://rhinos.org/blog/how-long-can-a-rhinos-horn-grow/) · [International Rhino Foundation: How Long Can a Rhino's Horn Grow? (keratin)](https://rhinos.org/blog/how-long-can-a-rhinos-horn-grow/) · [Mongabay Indonesia: 26 Badak Jawa Mati Diburu, Pengamanan Ujung Kulon Lemah? (12 Jun 2024)](https://www.mongabay.co.id/2024/06/12/26-badak-jawa-mati-diburu-pengamanan-ujung-kulon-lemah/) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (no. 111-112)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Undang-Undang No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990, Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf c (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/354517/UU%20Nomor%2032%20Tahun%202024.pdf)

### Myth: A baby orangutan you find or buy can be kept at home, especially if you mean to rescue it.

**salah.** False. All orangutan species are protected, and keeping a protected animal is illegal. A baby orangutan without its mother almost always means the mother was killed. Hand it over or report it to the BKSDA.

Sources: [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (Hominidae, no. 61-63)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Undang-Undang No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990, Pasal 21 ayat (2) huruf a (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/354517/UU%20Nomor%2032%20Tahun%202024.pdf) · [ANTARA: BKSDA dan YIARI selamatkan bayi Orangutan di area PETI Ketapang (24 Nov 2025)](https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5262929/bksda-dan-yiari-selamatkan-bayi-orangutan-di-area-peti-ketapang) · [ANTARA: BKSDA dan YIARI selamatkan bayi Orangutan di area PETI Ketapang (24 Nov 2025), kasus](https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5262929/bksda-dan-yiari-selamatkan-bayi-orangutan-di-area-peti-ketapang) · [Preuschoft et al. 2023, The Development of Feeding Competence in Rehabilitant Orphaned Orangutans and How to Measure It (Animals)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10339905/)

### Myth: Whale sharks are dangerous and could eat a person because they are so big.

**salah.** False. The whale shark is the world's largest fish, but it is harmless to people. It feeds by filtering plankton and other prey from the water, and it is fully protected in Indonesia.

Sources: [FishBase: Rhincodon typus species summary](https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Rhincodon-typus.html) · [Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida): Whale Shark species profile](https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/whale-shark/) · [Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida): Whale Shark species profile (feeding)](https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/whale-shark/) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013 tentang Penetapan Status Perlindungan Penuh Ikan Hiu Paus (Rhincodon typus)](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2013kepmenkp018_1706601533.pdf) · [KKP (JDIH, bahan rapat): Rancangan Peraturan Direktur Jenderal Pengelolaan Ruang Laut tentang pedoman wisata hiu paus (2020)](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/bahanrapat/bahanrapat_01112020114629.pdf)

### Myth: Dolphins are fish because they live in the sea and swim with fins.

**salah.** False. Biologically, dolphins are marine mammals (order Cetacea): they breathe at the surface and nurse their young. Indonesian fisheries law calls them 'fish', but that is a legal definition, not biology.

Sources: [NOAA National Ocean Service: What's the difference between dolphins and porpoises?](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/dolphin_porpoise.html) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Tursiops aduncus](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tursiops_aduncus/) · [Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Tursiops aduncus (breathing)](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tursiops_aduncus/) · [Undang-Undang No. 45 Tahun 2009 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 31 Tahun 2004 tentang Perikanan, Pasal 1 angka 4 (JDIH BPK)](https://peraturan.bpk.go.id/Download/28119/UU%20Nomor%2045%20Tahun%202009.pdf) · [Keputusan Menteri Kelautan dan Perikanan Nomor 66 Tahun 2025 tentang Jenis Ikan yang Dilindungi](https://jdih.kkp.go.id/peraturan/-2025kepmenkp066_1762414639.pdf) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018, lampiran jenis satwa dilindungi (no. 39 dan 48)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf) · [Peraturan Menteri LHK No. P.106/2018, lampiran (no. 48)](https://jdih.kehutanan.go.id/new2/uploads/files/P_106_2018_JENIS_TSL_menlhk_07252019152513.pdf)

### Myth: All bees and wasps die after they sting.

**sebagian-benar.** Partly true. Worker honey bees have a barbed sting that usually stays in the skin along with the venom sac, so the bee dies. Wasps have smooth stings and can sting again and again.

Sources: [Postmortem morphology of honeybee stings induced fatal anaphylaxis (International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2025)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12170788/) · [Postmortem morphology of honeybee stings induced fatal anaphylaxis (International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2025), barbed sting](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12170788/) · [University of California Statewide IPM Program: Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps (Pest Notes)](https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/yellowjackets-and-other-social-wasps/) · [Lethality of Honey Bee Stings to Heavily Armored Hornets (Biology, 2021)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8229339/) · [Biomarkers for the Molecular Diagnosis of IgE-Mediated Hymenoptera Venom Allergy in Clinical Practice (Int J Mol Sci, 2024)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11719524/)

### Myth: Cobras can spit their venom into your eyes.

**benar.** True, for the Javan and Sumatran spitting cobras. When threatened, both spread their hood and can spray venom. Venom in the eyes causes intense pain, so go to a health facility straight away.

Sources: [Kementerian Kesehatan RI: Pedoman Penanganan Kasus Gigitan/Sengatan Hewan Berbisa dan Keracunan Tumbuhan dan Jamur (Ditjen P2P), kobra Jawa](https://www.badankebijakan.kemkes.go.id/repositori/id/eprint/5609/1/PED-Penangganan-Gigit-Sengat-Hewan-Berbisa-Racun-Tumbuhan-Jamur%20(1).pdf) · [WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: Guidelines for the Management of Snakebites, 2nd edition (2016), Indonesia](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/who-guidance-on-management-of-snakebites.pdf) · [WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: Guidelines for the Management of Snakebites, 2nd edition (2016), section 5.6 cobra-spit ophthalmia](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/who-guidance-on-management-of-snakebites.pdf) · [WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia: Guidelines for the Management of Snakebites, 2nd edition (2016), complications](https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/searo/india/health-topic-pdf/who-guidance-on-management-of-snakebites.pdf) · [Ismail et al. 2025, The frequency, clinical characteristics and outcomes of Naja species related injuries in Malaysia consulted to Remote Envenomation Consultancy Services from 2020-2023 (PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12258597/) · [Ismail et al. 2025, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases (venom ophthalmia)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12258597/)