Snake attacks woman in her bed

2002-12-29 19:51

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - A woman from Brits has been discharged from hospital after an unexpected guest in her bed almost took her life 11 days before.

A Mozambican spitting cobra of 1.5m bit Isabel Venter (32), presumably because she rolled over it in her sleep.

Her two children, Juandré (3) and Chené (1) were with her in the bed.

Venter says she woke up from an incredibly intense burning pain in the shoulder. "I saw the four holes, got up and told my husband something bit me."

Fritz Venter, who was in the living room, immediately realised that a snake had bitten his wife, and took the children from the bed.

"We saw the snake when he removed the baby's crib from beside the bed. My husband shut the door and raced with me to hospital.

By that stage, she was already breathing with difficulty and could not see properly.

Venter's brother-in-law, Alwyn Barnard, had killed the snake so that it could be identified.

She had to wait about an hour before it was known what kind of snake had bit her and the correct antidote could be used.

"It was an absolute nightmare," she said in hospital after she had recovered. "The biggest lesson for me was that one should broaden one's knowledge of snakes."

Anro Naudé, a snake specialist, says snakes are especially active after the rains, when prey such as frogs are plentiful.

"The snake was possibly looking for food, smelled something different on the bed, went to investigate, and then she rolled over it."

The Mozambican spitting cobra is grey-brown, with a pink, salmon-coloured belly. It is found in the four northern provinces.

Its venom affects tissue and the nervous system. The venom breaks down tissue and the victim swells up. The tissue in the wound could rot, and then a skin graft is usually necessary.

"It is a very venomous snake and not something to be toyed with."

- Beeld