Australian boy "so brave" after waking up to snake biting his leg

Source: Xinhua| 2019-06-12 10:43:23|Editor: Shi Yinglun
Video PlayerClose

CANBERRA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- A six-year-old Australian boy has been praised for his bravery after waking up to a snake biting his leg.

Ben Gorman from the Northern Territory (NT) pulled back the covers on his bed at 4:00 a.m. local time on Monday morning to find a meter-long snake latched onto his leg.

Luckily Ben knew exactly how to handle the situation.

"I woke up and felt something biting my leg," he told News Corp Australia on Wednesday.

"I got my knee up then I ripped it off and threw it at the window.

"I didn't scream. I was so brave I could just pick it up and throw it.

"I was holding it right behind the head so it couldn't bite me. If you hold it on the tail it can bend and bite you."

He alerted his mother, Mincha Gorman, who called emergency services.

Ben was taken to Palmerston Regional Hospital 20 km east of Darwin where he was treated for two bites.

An animal handler was called in to remove the slaty-grey snake, a non-venomous species that is common in northern Australia.

Mincha said she was proud of her son who also ensured the safety of his five-year-old brother he shares a bedroom with.

"Ben was really calm and collected, he said 'Mum, I think a snake just bit me, I pulled it off me and threw it against the wall'," she said.

"It's a really strong reminder to people that at the moment, snakes are on the move, they're trying to get somewhere warm and they're trying to get out of the cold."

She said that the family has had previous encounters with snakes, something she said came with living in a rural area.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001381363311