A Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden employee was hospitalized Thursday after being bitten by a highly venomous rattlesnake.
The eastern rattlesnake bit the employee around 4 p.m. in a “backstage area” not open to visitors, zoo communications director Michelle Curley told the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The unnamed employee, who works at the reptile house, was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
He had only received a partial bite and did not require antivenom, Curley said, adding that his prognosis is good.
“No guest was ever at risk,” Curley said.
The exact circumstances surrounding the attack were unclear.
When threatened, the eastern rattlesnake sounds its iconic rattle as a final warning before attacking and can attack up to two-thirds of its body length, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
A Cincinnati Zoo employee was bitten by an eastern rattlesnake in the reptile house. Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The toxin in its venom, called hemotoxin, kills red blood cells and causes tissue damage, which can be fatal to humans.ZUMAPRESS.com
They are the largest rattlesnake in the world (some adults reach 8 feet in length) and the most venomous snake in North America.
The toxin in its venom, called hemotoxin, kills red blood cells and causes tissue damage, which can be fatal to humans.
The attack comes just a month after an Amazon driver was attacked by an Eastern Diamondback while delivering a package in Florida.
The messenger did not see the huge rattlesnake coiled near the front door until he pounced on it.
She was rushed to hospital in “very serious condition” but survived the harrowing incident.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn