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Source: Reuters -
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Ok, now I'm nervous. Eight snake bite victims in just three days in New South Wales ...the state I live and work in.
Now, I'll be straight. I'm not fond of snakes, never have been. I mean, who from Hamilton is?
The only contact with the venomous blighters I had growing up was during a family visit to Melbourne when one slithered out from a water drain after being disturbed by a fine cover drive in a backyard cricket match. (I got out the next ball.)
Now, we have the disturbing news of not one, but multiple bites, inflicted on unsuspecting Australians including an expert snake handler!
I mean, if the experts can't pick up the deadly reptiles without getting bitten, then what does the average Aussie Joe do when a brown snake has a crack at a barefoot in a thong, sorry, jandal!
Reptile experts (what a great title) say the warm, wet and humid conditions are to blame for the recent spate of attacks.
It's the perfect environment for the blacks, browns and death adders and other potentially deadly species - like Australia needs more - to hunt for food.
As a concerned Australian resident I thought I'd do a bit of Googling, just in case I get a visit from one of our nasty friends.
This is what I found on my first search: The venom of the Australian Brown Snake is so powerful only 1/14,000th of on ounce is enough to kill a human.
Great, I could be killed by something I can't even see!
Here's another fact: When snakes strike, they have a near 100% success rate.
Terrific, even if I can see it and it can't see me I could still end up six feet under!
The only worry I had in Hamilton was the daddy-long-legs spider who would take up residence in the corner of the closet from time to time.
Right now I'm thankful for my previous life as an ABC news correspondent living in Papua New Guinea. It was there where I got a fair bit of first aid experience dealing with the slithery sort.
What's the rule in television? Never work with kids or animals.
Well, that rule almost proved fatal for David "the snake handler" Williams who had the misfortune of having a two metre angry Paupuan Taipan dig its fangs into his thigh several times.
To cut a long story short, David was actually allergic to the Taipan venom. Without immediate first aid, he would have either died from the venom or the anaphylactic fit he slipped into.
Our story was about the shortage of anti-venom in the country, and it was touch and go there for a while as we took him to Port Moresby hospital.
By sheer coincidence he was given the last vial of anti-venom in the hospital stock, emphasising our story about the anti-venom shortage.
Great TV - but not so good for the heart, or David "the snake handler" Williams' body. He looked like he'd gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson when I saw him the next day.
When I moved from PNG to Sydney, I'd hoped that would be the last I'd see of my poisonous pals.
Worryingly, it appears not.
