Warning over Aussie snake surge
Seven people were taken to hospital with snake bites in Queensland over the weekend, with paramedics being called out to treat 15 people for snake bites over the last week.
A man in his 30s was left in a potentially life threatening condition on Sunday after he was bitten on the ankle by a snake at a Morayfield property north of Brisbane.
He was rushed to Caboolture Hospital after paramedics were called about 3.16pm.
A total of seven people were taken to hospital with snake bites across the state over the weekend, according to the ABC, while Queensland Ambulance received 24 reports of snake bites in the week leading to February 10, with the most reports in the Gold Coast (five), Cairns and Hinterland (four) and Darling Downs (four).
There were 88 reports received across the state in November 2024, with the figure jumping significantly to 129 in December before a slight drop to 128 in January this year.
A surge in people going to hospital with snake bites in the Rockhampton area was also recorded between November last year and January 2025, according to The Courier Mail, while 16-year-old Beau Horan died following a snake bite in Wurdong Heights last November.
Snake catcher David Voss said it had been a 'busy summer', and told The Courier Mail snake season had started a little earlier than usual following a warm winter last year.
'Snakes are very seasonal, so obviously during the warmer months there's a lot more activity,' Mr Voss told the masthead.
Queensland Ambulance Service Rockhampton acting operations supervisor Joseph O'Donnell urged Queenslanders to 'avoid snakes'.
'If you see a snake, leave it alone,' Mr O'Donnell said.
'We assume every snake bite is a venomous bite.'
He said snake bite symptoms could vary from vomiting and diarrhoea to significant pain at the site of the bite.
However some people may not even realise they've been bitten as they aren't always visible, and can't always be felt right away.
'Symptoms of a snake bite might not appear for an hour or more. It's important to act quickly if you think a snake has bitten you or someone else,' the Queensland Health website stated.
'If a snake bites you or someone else don't panic, run or try to catch the snake. You should move to a safe place and stay still. Don't wash, suck or cut the bite site.'
The site urged people to call Triple Zero if a snake bite occurred.
'What you do next depends on where the bite is. Always lie the person down to stop them from walking or moving around until the ambulance arrives,' the website stated.
Specific information on how to treat bites depending on where the bite has occurred can be found on the Queensland Health website.
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