Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Cobra Crawls Up German Tourist's Trousers, Fatal Bite

4/29/2026

33 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Police said a cobra crawled up the tourist’s trousers during a snake-charming act before delivering the fatal bite.
The 57-year-old German man from Unterallgäu, Bavaria, died at a hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, in early April.
German prosecutors and the Memmingen Criminal Police Inspectorate are investigating and await toxicology results.
Egyptian officials said they had no prior knowledge of the incident.

History

Historical Context

CITES, the multilateral treaty that entered into force on 1 July 1975, now protects more than 40,900 species by requiring export permits for listed wildlife. The April 2024 death of a 57-year-old German tourist in a Hurghada cobra-charming show has revived calls from German authorities and Egyptian officials to tighten CITES enforcement and introduce stricter tourist-safety rules for wildlife performances.

1 of 2

Story summary

Police said a cobra crawled up the tourist’s trousers during a snake-charming act before delivering the fatal bite.
The 57-year-old German man from Unterallgäu, Bavaria, died at a hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, in early April.
German prosecutors and the Memmingen Criminal Police Inspectorate are investigating and await toxicology results.
Egyptian officials said they had no prior knowledge of the incident.

1 / 2