General News
30 January, 2025
Snake or stick?
Summer is snake season, Member for Mildura Jade Benham says.
The Nationals' MP has issued a friendly reminder to Wimmera Mallee residents be on the lookout for snakes as the heat persists.
Ms Benham knows better than most just how easy it is to come all too close to a slithery native.
Her recent shock involved mistaking a snake for a stick.
“Brown snakes in particular are so easily disguised in our landscape and so easy to step on,” Ms Benham said.
“We have some of the most venomous snakes in the world in our region including the Eastern brown snake, and a Western taipan was recently seen on a farm.
"Bites from these critters can be life-threatening, not just to us but to our beloved pets.”
Ms Benham urged people to familiarise themselves with how to respond to snake bite.
"Snake bites may cause pain and swelling around the bite or there may be very few signs left on the skin (so that it) can be easily confused with a scratch from a branch or twig," she said.
“If someone is suspected to have suffered a snake bite, apply the correct first aid, call Triple Zero (000) and/or get them to a hospital immediately."