SYDNEY (XINHUA) – The number of reported snake bites in Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) has spiked.
According to data released yesterday by the NSW Poisons Information Centre, there were 320 reported snake bites in the state between September 1 and December 20, 2024.
It marked an increase of 35 per cent from the same period in 2023, with experts attributing the rise to weather and habitat destruction. Of those bitten in the 2024 period, 61 were children younger than 15. None of the bites in NSW were fatal. A pharmacist and senior specialist in poisons information at the centre Genevieve Adamo, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that people need to be more cautious of snakes, especially during the summer months when both snakes and people are more active.
Snake expert Dieter Hochuli from the University of Sydney said that there were more snake activities due to warmer weather in winter and spring. Christina Zdenek from the Australian Reptile Academy identified land clearing for urbanisation and development as another contributing factor.
She told the ABC that periods of heavy rainfall had also led to increased snake activity by enabling the growth of vegetation that supports more snake prey.
