A woman in her 60s has been hospitalized after a dangerous encounter with a venomous Eastern Brown Snake while cycling on the Northern Rivers Rail Trail in New South Wales, Australia. The incident occurred when the woman accidentally ran over the snake, which then became trapped in her bike chain and turned to attack her.

According to reports from the Guardian, the incident took place on July 15, 2026, around 1 PM local time. Emergency services were promptly dispatched to the scene after receiving a call about the incident. The woman was quickly transported to Tweed Valley Hospital, where she was treated and later released in stable condition on the morning of July 16.

Sarah Mailey, a snake expert involved in the rescue, described the difficulty of removing the snake from the bike chain, noting that the snake's head and upper body were still free to move and could attack at any moment. "The head was not caught in the chain, so it could still turn and bite the woman's leg," she explained.

Fortunately, the woman only sustained a dry bite, meaning the snake did not inject venom into her body. Mailey had to carefully control the snake's head while others worked to free it from the bike chain. Local police also arrived quickly to secure the area and ensure the safety of bystanders.

Sadly, due to severe injuries sustained while being trapped, the Eastern Brown Snake was later euthanized. This species is ranked as the second most dangerous land snake in the world, following the inland taipan, and is commonly found throughout eastern Australia. Its fangs are relatively small, measuring only about 3 mm, which can make bites initially painless and difficult to detect, leading to a false sense of security.

The venom of the Eastern Brown Snake is a potent mixture of neurotoxins that acts quickly, causing progressive muscle paralysis, respiratory failure, and uncontrollable bleeding. Clinical statistics indicate that 99% of cases of envenomation lead to coagulopathy, 18% result in kidney failure, and about 6% can lead to cardiac arrest, with a fatality rate of 5% in severe cases.