Vertebrate Zoologist/Herpetologist with the Brazil Zoological Institute Bhaskar Deka passed away earlier today from complications that arose from the bite of a South American Bushmaster (Lachesis muta muta). He was pronounced dead approximately 6 hours after being bitten, and passed from a brain hemorrhage and kidney failure.

Aside from being a great herpetologist, he was an incredible wildlife and nature photographer.

Here is a post on another forum showcasing some of his images:
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/death-bhaskar-deka-172629/

My condolences go out to all his friends, family, co workers, and everybody that has been associated with him in one way or another.

Sad news. Sincere condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.

Best regards, BKK

Sincere condolences

Another very sad day, amazing photographer, condolences to his family, friends and co-workers

Graeme

No so tragic! My deepest thoughts to his family and close ones!!
reg
Mats

condolenses to his family and friends.

Our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
I just had a look at some of his pictures, and i must say that nature and its beauty has lost one of its most ardent advocates.
Very sad - what a year with all these losses....
VenomLand team
Peter

What is going on on this year ? This year is true black year Rest in peace man !!!

Occupational hazards and mishaps are a reminder to us all that we are human and inclined to err , argumentively i cant express my thoughts on if your not at your best , do not enter your work space be it the field or the laboratory.

Condolences to Bhaskar's family for your heavy loses.

Albert.

Very sad, and yet another loss for this field.

very sad..R.I.P

Very sad..Condolenses to his family and friends.

Another black day in the world of snake lovers and herpetologists....

My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Grtzz. Vinc.

Very sad ...
Condolenses to his family

Sad sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Does anyone here actually know the deceased? I will admit that I had never heard of him until today.

I don't wish to cast aspersions or show disrespect, but neither Google nor Google Images seems to have heard of either him or of the "Brazil Zoological Institute".

Even more strangely, some of the photos attributed to him on the Aussiepythons thread are attributed to others elsewhere - e.g., the shot of the Bothriechis aurifer, which is attributed to a Tim Vickers here: http://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaizdas:Bothriechis_aurifer_(2).jpg

And the photo of the nectar feeding Phelsuma is by Mark Moffett: http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/ornate-day-gecko-mauritius/

All a little odd, I would say.

Yea I did the same and couldnot find anything in the news! but there is a FB page with that name and institute!! Im confused!!!
reg
Mats

Wolfgang are you the same as Caissaca?
reg
Mats

.

I only knew "him" from facebook, like a lot of other people, apparently, but I heard about this from a good friend/coherper and from the same aussiepythons thread that was mentioned a few posts above. I'm not sure what's going on though, now.

Looks to me like you've all been conned by someone...

If that's indeed a kind of tasteless amusement - shame on those who started it.

Everything points to this bloke only 'existing' on Facebook. His supposedly famous photos are stolen from public websites, his wife is a picture off the internet, his institution doesn't exist in the real world, and everyone who has ever caught him out in a lie was instantly blocked from his FB profile (which itself ceased to exist this morning) ... it sounds like the sort of game that some like that other infamous (but bogus) Oxford University-trained, WHO-employed herpetologist "Ian D Simpson would dream up ...

Dave, in this case it would be a relief if it were a hoax as the loss of even one life is too many.

True enough Albert indeed