Woman attacked by snake in city suburb - after it was attracted by her chicken
A terrified mum-of-two has described how a snake emerged from bushes in a city suburb and sank its fangs into her leg as she walked past.
Patricia Bullock was left in agony after the snake appeared from nowhere and attacked her as she walked home with her shopping in Worcester.
The 57-year-old thinks the reptile was attracted by the smell of an Aldi chicken she had bought.
Environmental health experts have warned that the snake could be an “exotic pet” which has escaped from someone’s house.
Shock - the snake sunk its fangs into Patricia’s leg (Pictures: SWNS)
Describing the attack, which happened on Lansdowne Crescent in Worcester last Sunday (October 16), Patricia said: “It was around 3pm and I had just been into town, I was walking back past some hedgerows.
"I had bought a raw chicken from Aldi and I was walking back home carrying it in a carrier bag in my left hand.”
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Suddenly the snake, described as “brown coloured and very quick”, emerged from the bushes and bit her, she said.
"It was as quick as anything. It lashed out from the bushes and grabbed my leg. As it lashed out, it hit the carrier bag to get the chicken, but it got my leg instead.”
Burn - Patricia was left with a huge red ring on her calf
As soon as it bit her it disappeared, Patricia said, leaving her in shock.
"The pain was like having a glass cut and my leg started to burn like it was on fire.
"I rushed home as quickly as I could and I had a massive red ring around the bite on my calf from my base of my foot to the top of my leg.
"I sat down and I pushed the edges of the red ring and I squeezed out most of the poison until it started to bleed. That’s when I noticed the two marks from the snake’s teeth.”
She was left with nausea and flu-like symptoms for several days but has been to her GP.
Painful - Patricia’s snake bite
Snake expert Nigel Hands the reptile was unlikely to have been an adder, saying: “It’s more likely an escaped ‘exotic pet’.
"I think someone may well have lost a pet but snakes aren’t out to hurt people, it was most likely frightened.”
Mark Cox, from Worcestershire Regulatory Services, added: “We licence people who keep dangerous and wild animals and don’t know of anyone who was lost a pet, if they did, they would lose their licence.”
(Top picture is a stock image. Picture: Rex)
