An eastern brown snake — © Universal Images Group via Getty
A man in Australia died after trying to catch one of the world’s most poisonous snakes in a kindergarten. The 47-year-old man was bitten several times on his left arm. This was reported by the Australian broadcaster ABC.
The accident happened in a suburb of Townsville, in the state of Queensland on the east coast of Australia. The victim probably did not know that it was the eastern brown snake (Pseudonaja textilis), which is considered the second most venomous land snake in the world.
After being bitten several times, the man drove home, where his wife immobilized his arm and applied pressure bandages. When the man’s condition seemed to deteriorate shortly afterwards, she called the emergency services. Moments later the man went into cardiac arrest. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, but died shortly afterwards.
“If you don’t know anything about snakes, treat them all as if they were poisonous and call 911 immediately,” authorities warned the public. In Australia, an average of one to two people die each year from snakebites – the vast majority in recent years from attacks by the eastern brown snake, which is found in most of the country.