Four people, including a man in his 70s, have been bitten by snakes in separate incidents around Queensland overnight as experts warn it’s a taste of the summer ahead.
All four people were taken to hospital in stable conditions after reportedly being bitten; however, a Queensland Ambulance spokesman said it’s “pretty normal” for this time of year.
A teenage boy from Wangetti was taken to Cairns Hospital after he was bitten on the lower leg shortly before 8pm on Tuesday night.
A short time later, a woman in her 30s was also taken to Cairns Hospital when she was bitten at her Smithfield home.
On the Darling Downs, a man in his 70s was taken to Toowoomba Hospital after he was bitten on his leg at a Smithfield address.
A man in his 60s had to be flown from Point Lookout to the Princess Alexandra Hospital after he was bitten on his lower leg at a campground shortly after 7pm.
Brisbane snake catcher Bryan Robinson said more than 3500 snake bites were recorded across the country every year, so four in a day was “below average”.
“It’s part of their natural history to be more active at this time of year … September and October tend to be our busiest months because there is lots of reproductive activity,” he said.
“But having four snake bites in a day doesn’t correlate with snake activity … It’s pure random chance.
“More than 90 per cent of our call-outs are for non-venomous snakes.”
This article first appeared on news.com.au
