Australian cyclist bitten by two-metre-long deadly snake entangled in bike chain

Australian cyclist bitten by two-metre-long deadly snake entangled in bike chain The eastern brown is one of the world's most venomous snakes - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments A cyclist in Australia was bitten on the thigh after a two-metre-long eastern brown snake became caught in her bike chain. The woman, in her 60s, was riding along the Northern Rivers Rail Trail near Burringbar, in northern New South Wales about 33km northwest of Byron Bay, when she ran over the snake at about 1pm on Wednesday. Paramedics took her to Tweed Valley Hospital in a stable condition, NSW Ambulance said. She was discharged on Thursday morning, according to the Northern NSW Local Health District. The eastern brown is one of the world's most venomous snakes and the most common cause of fatal snakebites in Australia, though deaths from any species are rare there. It is found across the eastern side of the country. Sarah Mailey, a venomous snake handler from I'll Catch It Snake Relocations, was called to remove the animal after it became tangled in the chain. She met the police, who escorted her to the bike, where she found the injured snake caught in the mechanism. Ms Mailey believed the woman had ridden over the snake, which was flung up as it was struck and became trapped in the chain before biting her, she told news.com.au. The bite happened because the snake's head remained free and active while its body was pinned, putting bystanders at risk, Ms Mailey said. She restrained the head as police and members of the public helped untangle the animal. "Once they could help me untangle it I had to contain the snake, put it in a bag, take it away, and unfortunately euthanise it due to the extent of the injuries," she told news.com.au. Ms Mailey said the snake had probably been resting close to the edge of the track and was run over by accident. Eastern browns curl up and stay still, she said, and from a distance can be mistaken for a branch, a leaf or a shadow. She rejected the idea that the species was aggressive. "Eastern browns are definitely one of the snakes that do cause the most bites, I don't believe that they're an aggressive species, I just believe that they're defensive when they're feeling threatened," she told news.com.au. Snakes slow down in winter but still move around, Ms Mailey said. They find a place to settle in April and May and stay there unless the weather warms. "If it warms up enough it gives them a false sense of security that it's warm outside so they'll bring themselves out," she said. The animals venture out briefly to regulate their temperature before returning to shelter until late in the winter. Ms Mailey advised cyclists and walkers to carry a compression bandage and learn snakebite first aid in case they or someone else is bitten. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments