A Wagga mum has given other parents and the city's residents a timely reminder to keep their eyes peeled for snakes as warmer weather approaches.
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Last week, Kyra Appleby was at a Tolland playground with her family when they had a close shave with a snake that they didn't spot until it was almost too late.
"We went across the road to the park with my three-year-old son and on the way back home we were walking through the park and then my brother just started screaming and running," she said.
At first, Mrs Appleby thought it was a joke as she couldn't see anything but soon realised her brother had stepped directly on a highly-venomous brown snake.
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Her partner scooped their three-year-old son Bronson up to avoid the reptile, and thankfully no one was injured before the snake retreated.
"As we watched through the grass it kept stopping to put his head up and watch us too," she said.
"It eventually slithered into a tree bed, it was at least a four foot brown snake."
Mrs Appleby later took to a community Facebook page to share a video of the snake as a timely reminder to other parents.
"[It is] that time of year, make sure you check your surroundings and keep kids in safe eye distance at the park," she wrote.
Tips for dealing with snakes
It may be the season for serpents, but Wagga's 'snakeman' Tony Davis has assured locals it is unlikely to be an especially busy one this year.
"Last year with the reported snake plague, it was one of my quietest seasons of all and that's in 20 years of me doing this," Mr Davis said.
"Whether it's because the mice are out in the paddock and the snakes stayed out there, I wouldn't be too sure but we're hearing we've got another mouse plague this year so it may be quieter this year too."
If you do spot a snake, Mr Davis's catching business is on hand to remove them, but he had some sage advice to follow in the meantime.
"I'm a snake catcher, not a snake finder. I can't catch a snake I can't see," Mr Davis said.
"If you see a snake, the best thing to do is to stand still or move away backwards from it and keep an eye on the snake to see where it is going, but don't try to catch it or scare it away."
If a snake does strike, Mr Davis warned immediate action is vital.
"Wrap the bite site, put it in a sling or keep it still, no liquors and straight to medical attention," Mr Davis said.
"Try not to move because any movement that you make transfers the venom quicker.
"Find someone to take you straight to the hospital to get medical attention."
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