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Snakes on the trail, and snakebite first aid

Snakes almost never chase people. Most bites happen when someone steps on or near a snake, or tries to catch or kill it. Give snakes space, watch where you put your feet and hands, and for a bite, keep the person still and get them to hospital.

This guide does not replace a first aid course.

Snakes that hikers are most likely to meet

• Puff adder: thick, slow and well camouflaged, often lying on or beside a path in the sun. It does not move away, and it bites when stepped on. It is responsible for many bites in South Africa.
• Berg adder: a small adder of mountain grassland, including the Drakensberg.
• Cape cobra: Western and Northern Cape and the Free State.
• Mozambique spitting cobra: the north and east. It can spit venom into the eyes.
• Black mamba: the north and east. Bites are rare but very serious.
• Boomslang: lives in trees and rarely bites.

Most South African snakes are harmless, and the dangerous ones usually move away from people.

Avoiding bites

• Watch the path, especially on warm days and in long grass.
• Step onto rocks and logs, not over them.
• Wear boots and long trousers in grass and scrub.
• Use a torch at night around huts and camps.
• Never put your hands into holes or under rocks that you cannot see into.
• If you see a snake, stop, back away slowly, and go round it at a distance or wait for it to move.
• Never try to catch or kill it, and do not throw stones at it.

Snakebite first aid

Most bites are not fatal, especially with quick hospital care, and many inject little or no venom. Treat every bite as serious anyway.

1. Move away from the snake. Keep the person calm and still, because movement spreads venom.
2. Call 112 or 10177 and arrange transport to the nearest hospital as fast as is safely possible. Antivenom is given only in hospital.
3. Remove rings, watches and tight clothing from the bitten limb before it swells.
4. Immobilise the limb with a splint or sling, and keep the person lying or sitting quietly.
5. Note the time of the bite and what the snake looked like. Photograph it only from a safe distance.
6. Watch the person's breathing.

Pressure bandages help only for certain bites, applied by someone trained, and must never be used for puff adder and similar bites. If you do not know the snake, do not apply one.

What not to do

• Do not use a tourniquet.
• Do not cut or suck the bite.
• Do not apply ice, heat, electric shocks, chemicals or traditional remedies.
• Do not give alcohol.
• Do not let the person walk or run if they can be carried.

Venom in the eyes

Rinse the eyes at once with plenty of water for 10 to 15 minutes, then get medical help.

Ticks

Ticks are common in grass and bush in summer.

• Tuck long trousers into your socks and use insect repellent.
• Check your whole body after every hike, and check the children.
• Remove a tick with fine tweezers, gripping it close to the skin and pulling straight out. Do not squeeze it, burn it or smother it in oil.

Tick-bite fever usually starts 5 to 7 days after a bite, with fever, a severe headache, aching muscles and often a black scab at the bite. See a doctor and mention the tick. It is easily treated.

Bees

If bees become aggressive, move away fast and cover your face. Scrape stings out with a fingernail or a card. Swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing or collapse is an emergency: call 112 or 10177 at once.

Baboons

Never feed them, and keep food out of sight. If a baboon snatches food or a bag, let it go.

This guide is based on Chapter 9 of Hiking and Trail Safety in South Africa, which also covers scorpions, blister bush and dangerous game.