What to do when bitten by a snake in the Vaal Triangle
Being bitten by a snake is a fear shared by many people, however, snakebite treatment has come a long way to ensure that lives and limbs are saved if effective treatment is started early.
Fortunately for everyone who calls the Vaal Triangle home, there are only two highly venomous and one mildly venomous species of snakes found within the area.
Bites are relatively rare, and deaths are unheard of! But knowledge is power.
The venomous snakes of the Vaal Triangle
The venomous snakes found in the Vaal Triangle include the Puff Adder (Bitis arietans), the Rinkhals (Hemachatus haemachatus), and the Night Adder (Causus rhombeatus). The Rinkhals is by far the most common species of the 3 venomous snakes found around the Vaal Triangle. Please download or Common Snakes of the Vaal Triangle Poster for information on the snakes most commonly found in the area!
What to do when bitten by a snake in the Vaal Triangle
When bitten by a snake in the Vaal Triangle irrespective of the species, treatment will follow the same path prehospitally. The following steps should be taken while arrangements are being made to get the snakebite victim to a hospital for further treatment:
- Immobilise the limb to prevent further movement – This can be achieved by either splinting the affected limb or simply bandaging the arm to the chest or bandaging the legs together of a patient doesn’t have to walk to get help.
- Call the Emergency Services – When bitten by a snake in the Vaal Triangle the chances of you dying quickly are slim and you should have more than enough time to get the patient to a hospital. You can call the Emergency Services for quick transportation or transport the patient yourself. The number for the Emergency Services in the Vaal Triangle are 082 911 (Netcare911), 073 610 3349 (Sharp Medical), 084 124 (ER24), 016 976 7887 (Vaal Emergency Care), or 112 from your cellphone (Provincial Services).
- Identify the snake – If possible, and it is safe, get a description or a photograph of the snake. The same antivenom is used to treat Rinkhals and Puff Adder so there is no need to capture or kill the snake and take it with to the hospital.
- Rescue Breathing – In severe cases it may be necessary for you to assist a victim bitten by a Rinkhals with their breathing but this will be in a very rare case of severe envenomation.
When a Rinkhals spits venom in your eyes simply rinse it out with any bland liquid that will not burn the eyes although e.g. water, milk, saline, etc. The eye/s will burn and a doctor should examine the eye to ensure that there will be no secondary injuries caused by infection.
What to do when you encounter a snake in The Vaal Triangle
If it is a venomous snake or you are too scared to try and capture one of the non-venomous snakes you can do the following:
- Stay calm and call a snake catcher to come and remove the snake. Please do this immediately not two or three days later as no one will be able to find the snake. Keep an eye on the snake while you wait for help to arrive.
- Make sure that you stay about 5 steps away from the snake, especially a Rinkhals which can spit its venom at you.
- Please do not try and kill the snake, it is unnecessary especially if someone is on their way to remove the snake.
- Keep small children and pets away from the immediate area.
There are a few individuals around the Vaal Triangle that will assist with snake removals that belong to the Vaal Herpetological Association and you can contact Nick van der Walt on 072 680 1681 for assistance. If you want assistance with snake identification or you have been bitten by a snake you can also contact Nick.
If you would like to learn more about our Snake Identification, Handling & Snakebite Treatment course or purchase a Snakebite First Aid kit please contact Bernadette on 076 092 5932 or bernadette@accesspd.co.za.
