Those who are planning to rip up the Warburton Bike Park trails are being asked to be wary of snakes this summer.
The Warburton Bike Park took to social media to spread awareness about the threat of snakes in the Yarra Ranges on 28 October.
If you see a snake on the trail, stand still and observe what the snake is doing.
Move away slowly in the opposite direction, or let it pass while you stay still.
Most importantly, never touch or provoke the snake — most bites happen when people try to handle them.
In February this year, a trail worker on the Warburton Bike Park was bitten by a snake and had to be extricated by the Upper Yarra SES.
The patient was located on one of the mountain bike tracks set to be part of the Warburton Bike Park, with SES crews paged to assist paramedics in retrieving the patient in the tough terrain.
Upper Yarra SES Unit Controller Hannah Brunton said the patient was in the care of Ambulance Victoria and they were requesting SES to extricate them back to the ambulance.
If you get bitten, don’t wash or suck the wound.
Call for help using your mobile or personal homing beacon if you have one.
Stay calm and still and apply pressure immobilisation: bandage the bite as tight as you would a sprained ankle and continue up the limb.
Take a photo of the snake if safe to do so, or note its colour and markings to help with treatment.
