A cyclist in her 60s is recovering after a two-meter eastern brown snake became entangled in her bicycle chain and bit her thigh on a popular regional trail in northern New South Wales.
The incident occurred around 1:00 p. m.
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on Wednesday on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail near Burringbar in the Tweed Shire.
Paramedics transported the woman to Tweed Valley Hospital in stable condition, and she was discharged the following morning.
Snake Catcher Called to Extract Reptile
Snake catcher Sarah Mailey was called to perform a challenging extraction of the reptile from the bicycle.
“Its head wasn’t in the chain so it was free to be able to strike her leg,” Mailey said.
The cyclist escaped serious injury because she sustained a “dry bite,” meaning no venom entered her bloodstream.
However, the snake had to be euthanized due to injuries from the ordeal.
Mailey noted that snakes are frequently drawn to the underside of the concrete rail trail path during cooler months to find shelter and hunt rodents.
“In April, snakes start to look for where they’re going to spend their time and they move under there,” she said.
The snake’s reduced reflexes and partial blindness contributed to the unusual accident, as it was unable to see the bicycle approaching.
“Given that he was probably just sitting there not moving, it wouldn’t have been something that she would have spotted,” Mailey said.
The cyclist likely mistook the stationary reptile for a minor trail obstruction.
