Man still recovering from tiger snake bite at Wilsons Promontory in January
By Madeleine Stuchbery
ABC Gippsland
Topic:Disasters, Accidents and Emergency Incidents
19m ago19 minutes agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 6:59pm
Woman and man smiling in a selfie in front of the ocean.
Matt Wright was on a day trip to Wilsons Promontory with his wife Lisa when he was bitten by a tiger snake. (Supplied: Wright family)
In short:
A Victorian man is recovering after being bitten by a tiger snake during a visit to one of the state's most popular national parks.
More than 120 people were bitten by snakes in Victoria this summer, more than previous years.
What's next?
A venomous animals researcher at the University of Melbourne says there are various factors influencing snake behaviour.
Matt Wright has vague memories of his day trip to Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria's Gippsland region in early January, but he does recall the moment a tiger snake appeared and sank its fangs into him.
He was chatting with friends at the Tidal River campsite when he felt something clamp down hard on his foot.
"I looked down and there was this tiger snake attached," Mr Wright said.
"I had to kick him off — he really locked on."
Man's foot with a red rash.
Within five minutes, Mr Wright found it hard to breathe and began vomiting. (Supplied: Wright family)
As his wife Lisa phoned triple-0, quick-thinking campers experienced with snake bites took control and applied a pressure bandage to his leg.
His condition deteriorated quickly and within five minutes he was vomiting, incoherent and having trouble breathing.
Paramedics were onsite within 15 minutes and administered antivenom, before Mr Wright was flown to Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Mrs Wright said her husband feared the worst.
"He said, 'I'm gone,'"
Ms Wright said.
"I said, 'No, you're not, the boys still need to see their dad.'"
Two months on, Mr Wright, from Victoria's Gippsland, is now back at work after his brush with death, but his recovery is ongoing.
He has trouble orientating himself at times and is easily fatigued as his body continues to heal.
Paramedic stands in front of an air ambulance helicopter.
Mr Wright was flown to Latrobe Regional Hospital. (Supplied: Wright family)
Snake bites on the rise
Mr Wright was one of the 129 people bitten by a snake in Victoria this summer, compared to 102 between December 2022 and February 2023.
Ambulance Victoria figures show more people were bitten by a snake in the Gippsland region between December and February compared to the previous two years, with paramedics responding to 21 incidents this summer.
There were 13 cases the year prior.
A tiger snake in an enclosure envenoming a dead mouse next to a striped bowl full of water
Tiger snake venom is highly toxic. (ABC South East SA: Josh Brine)
Ambulance Victoria Gippsland regional manager Eddie Wright said paramedics had responded to snake bites in a range of places, including farms, campsites and residential properties.
"We're seeing longer periods of dryness, and we're seeing more people actually out in the landscape, we're in their [snakes'] environment a lot more," he said.
In the case of a snake bite, Mr Wright said it was important to keep the victim still, apply pressure, and call triple-0.
"It's really good if you've got a snake bite kit," Mr Wright said.
Snake catcher Jake Condotta has been relocating snakes across South Gippsland and the Bass Coast for four years.
Man in a black shirt holding snake.
Jake Condotta wrangling a tiger snake. (Supplied: Jake Condotta)
He said this summer had been his busiest yet, with more than 50 extra snake relocations on the books.
"It's been insane this summer,"
Mr Condotta said.
He's removed snakes from rural properties, commercial factories and shops, before relocating them to an area of Crown land within 5 kilometres.
Mr Condotta said if snakes were found, it was important not to go near them.
He said those interacting with a snake without a permit could be fined.
"You can't interact or kill these guys," Mr Condotta said.
"But it's not even the fine, if you try to kill one … they'll end your life if you don't do first aid properly."
All wildlife is protected in Victoria under the Wildlife Act 1975 and it is illegal to hunt, take, destroy, injure, or interfere with them without authorisation, with maximum penalties of $46,154 or two years in jail.
A torn piece of the box of tiger snake antivenom.
Paramedics arrived within 15 minutes and administered tiger snake antivenom to Mr Wright. (Supplied: Wright family)
'Highly cryptic animals'
Timothy Jackson, co-head of the University of Melbourne's Australian Venom Research Unit, researches the basic science of venomous animals, and monitors the incidence of bites and stings in Australia and in Papua New Guinea.
Dr Jackson said while it might seem that dry weather was connected to increased snake activity, it was not the only reason they were being seen more often.
"Snakes are typically highly cryptic animals, they do not wish to be seen,"
he said.
"If we're seeing more snakes out in the open, this likely does not mean there are more snakes, they're getting bolder, or are doing well in general
"It may indicate that the population is stressed."
He told the ABC researchers knew "disappointingly little" about the circumstances leading to snake bites.
"It's always worth emphasising that snake bite envenoming is a rare, and extremely rarely fatal, occurrence in Australia, despite our reputation," Dr Jackson said.
"Around 300 to 500 people will require snake antivenom per year in Australia, and on average we have two to three fatalities.
"To put this in context, in India alone there may be as many as 60,000 snakebite fatalities per year."
A gravel road in a coastal campsite at Tidal River.
Tidal River campground is a popular campsite in Victoria. (Supplied: Wright family)
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Posted19m ago19 minutes agoTue 18 Mar 2025 at 6:59pm
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