A scared mum is prompting others to inform their kids about the risks of wildlife after her 15-year-old child made a “stupid” and possibly deadly error while socializing with pals.
Ashley Spain said the teenager was just recently walking near a beach when she saw what she believed was a Garter snake on the path. “What she picked up was actually a juvenile Copperhead,” she published on Facebook post over the weekend.
A picture reveals the young trainee holding the poisonous snake in her arms while taking a look at it adoringly. Just minutes after the image was taken, the snake struck, triggering her arm to balloon. The teenager was hurried to healthcare facility, where she was offered anti-venom within an hour of the bite, Ms Spain said.
“Please make sure your children are aware that even though nature is beautiful, it can be very dangerous,” she included. “She’s learning a very hard lesson on when to just leave things as they are. Don’t let your kids be like mine.”
Additional images released by the concerned mum reveal the 15-year-old scrunching her face in discomfort after being confessed into healthcare facility, and a close-up view of the holes left by the snake’s fangs on her inflamed wrist.
Critics slam teenager’s snake act
Ms Spain’s Facebook post has actually given that drawn in a great deal of attention from critics who argued her child ought to have identified the snake was a Copperhead as the types prevails in the United States state of Virginia where they live.
The barrage of messages triggered Ms Spain and her hubby to react in defence of their child’s “understandable lapse in judgement”.
“She has always been taught to admire wild animals from a distance, but we as her parents understand that she is 15 and won’t always make the best choices,” she countered. “She has never seen a venomous snake in person up to this point. Stop acting like you were never a teenager that did stupid things.”
Teen still in ‘some discomfort’ after snake bite
The girl returned home from the healthcare facility on Saturday (regional time) and is succeeding general in spite of “still some pain”.
“She appreciates all of the kind words and thoughts!” Ms Spain said in an upgraded post. “We hope this message reaches those around our area to keep other children, teens, and young adults safe. If you are unsure, leave it be!”
While Copperhead snakes are accountable for more poisonous snakebites than any other in the United States, according to the National Geographic, they are really seldom deadly, with just a handful of deaths reported over the last 100 years.
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