Bitten three times in snake drama #animalcruelty #snake It was a change of pace for Exmouth Vet Clinic, who found themselves dealing with a human emergency earlier this month. Paul Abbott walked into the clinic holding a live, metre-long king brown snake by the head. Mr Abbott had grabbed the snake to stop it biting his beloved Staffordshire terriers Cassy and Harley. He was bitten twice in the process, and a third time as vet Megan Gall euthanised the snake. Mr Abbott said recent dog baiting incidents in Exmouth came to mind when he heard his pets barking. He rushed outside, concerned someone had thrown a bait into his yard. Instead, he found his two dogs cornering an angry snake which was raised up ready to strike. He said he didn’t have time to fetch a rake or shovel, so instead grabbed the snake with his bare hands. “It bit me twice on the arm before I had a chance to grab it,” he said. “After it had bitten me I realised I was in trouble and needed to do something quickly. “I thought of the vet, which is only a few houses down from mine. Mr Abbott said as he walked down the road holding the snake his vision was going blurry and he was wobbling and having trouble walking. He said Ms Gall and her team responded immediately, putting a pressure bandage on his arm and driving him to Exmouth Hospital where Dr Peter Hannay and his medical staff took over. Mr Abbott was flown by Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) to Perth. He said there was no doubt the actions of staff from the vet and hospital saved his life and he thanked everyone, including the Exmouth St John Ambulance crew and the RFDS. Mr Abbott is recovering at home with his much-loved dogs. Department of Parks and Wildlife Exmouth district wildlife officer Grant Griffin said in similar circumstances people should not grab hold of a snake in their yard. He said there were several snake handlers in Exmouth who could be contacted through DPaW and if a snake was spotted it must be watched continuously until the handler arrived so its location is known. He recommended people keep their yards free of long grass and clutter to make it harder for a snake to hide, and he said if anyone was bitten by a snake they should phone for help and avoid any movement. Snake handlers can be contacted through DPaW on 9947 8000.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 04:40:24 +0000
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