A 12-year-old is sharing her expertise being bitten by a 1.3m-long tiger snake following a “ballistic” begin to snake season.
Staughton Vale 12-year-old Grace Tenuta recalled an incident in 2020 the place she heeded the recommendation of the fictional outback explorer after being bitten by a 1.3m-long tiger snake.
“I was out catching skinks, then I heard a rustle in some weeds next to a water tank,” she stated.
“It wasn’t a skink, it turned out to be a very angry snake, so I jumped up and ran and as I jumped up, it sort of reared up and bit me on the bottom of the foot.”
Grace then ran inside and advised her mom what had occurred, earlier than mendacity fully nonetheless, a way she had realized from Glenn Robbins’ character Russell Coight.
Snake chunk survivor Grace Tenuta remembered Russell Coight’s recommendation to remain nonetheless. Picture: Brad Fleet
Local snake catcher Jack Gatto stated that cases like Grace’s could possibly be extra widespread this season than in recent years, as a result of potential of a “pretty warm spring and summer.”
“We live in Australia, so if you’re going on a bushwalk and it’s warm weather, there’s a chance that you’ll encounter a snake,” he stated.”
“They’re defensive animals, they don’t want to cruise around biting people and kill our dogs and cats, they want to eat little mice, lizards, birds and frogs.”
Mr Gatto stated that snake season had not solely come early, however sightings within the final week had “gone ballistic.”
“I’ve already had five or six call outs, and the season’s just started,” Mr Gatto stated on Wednesday.
According to Mr Gatto, his business Bellarine & Surf Coast Snake Catching mostly caught lowlands copperheads and tiger snakes, whereas up in direction of Bannockburn he typically noticed jap brown snakes.
Snake catcher Jack Gatto with a lowland copperhead snake as snake season begins. Picture: Brad Fleet
Mr Gatto stated all of them had been venomous, and the perfect factor to do was to go away them alone.
“First of all, walk your dogs and children away,” he stated.
“Make sure you maintain a safe distance from the snake and keep an eye on it, then get someone to call a licensed snake catcher.”
Belinda Hibble, Barwon Health’s director of emergency drugs, stated to maintain calm and transfer away slowly if you happen to noticed a snake.
“If you think you may have been bitten by a snake, even if you do not immediately feel symptoms, calling triple-0 is recommended for medical attention,” Dr Hibble stated.
“Once out of danger, laying down will prevent the spread of potential venom through the body, while bandaging the bite firmly can help prevent venom from leaving the puncture site.
“It is not advised to use tourniquets, cut the puncture site, try to suck out the venom, or wash the venom away.
“Marking the site of the bite with an ‘X’ can assist medical treatment, as well as splinting the limb until help arrives.”
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