Durban - A child was hospitalised after she was bitten by a snake while she was playing near a flower pot at her grandmother's house in the Everest Heights area of Verulam, north of Durban, on Saturday.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram, the 12-year-year old girl was bitten by an unidentified green snake.
Balram said the mother arrived with her daughter at the Rusa headquarters at about 7pm on Saturday seeking assistance.
The mother described the snake as green, long and as thick as a 50 cent coin, he said.
“The child began having difficulty breathing and experienced body pains. Reaction officers provided an expedited escort to Osindisweni Hospital in an attempt to get medical assistance without delay,” said Balram.
Balram added that the child is in Grade 7 and attends a Verulam primary school.
Last year, The Mercury reported on the answers to some of the most common queries local snake rescuer Nick Evans receives from the public.
In one response, Evans advised that if anyone is bitten by a snake, that person should be rushed to the nearest hospital.
“Do not take the snake with you. If you can send a photo of the snake to a snake catcher for identification, great. If not, go to the hospital,” he said.
Evans also advised the public not to attempt to capture or kill the snake by themselves.
“The snake may well be harmless, but rather confirm this with a snake catcher, by sending a photo, before picking it up. Killing snakes, especially large ones like a black mamba, can easily result in a person being bitten. The snake is terrified of you, and just wants to be left alone, with no intention or desire to bite anyone,” he said.
He also noted that the public should not bother using repellents for snakes including commercial repellents, various plants, garlic and vanilla essence.
“The best you can do is keep your yard clean, with no piles of wood, rubble, bricks, and hope for the best. Cutting down trees won’t help, although if you have branches growing against your roof, trim them back,” said Evans.