NASHVILLE — A young girl is recovering after she was bit by a copperhead snake at Brown County State Park on Saturday evening.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources says the 7-year-old was playing with other children at her campsite when she ran into the wood line and was bitten. When the girl started complaining about her leg hurting and the pucture wounds on her ankle, her father checked the area and saw a snake.
The family called 911 and the girl was taken to meet the ambulance at the park entrance. The girl was taken to Riley Hospital for Children where she is expected to make a full recovery.
DNR employees attempted to catch the snake but the heavy foliage allowed it to escape, officials say.
"While rare, there have been other copperhead bites in the park and they have ahd the same common factors," DNR said in a release sent out Monday morning. "They have occurred after dark and the person involved was not using a flash light in a poorly lit area."
Copperheads generally feed on small rodents and have some of the least venomous bites of any venomous snake. DNR says Hoosiers should also be aware that it is illegal to kill snakes on Indiana State Parks properties.
DNR also offers the following list of things to consider in order to prevent snake encounters:
- Stay on designate trails and mowed areas. Snake are less likely to come out in the open.
- After dark, snakes will move around to hunt for food or lie on warm roadways, so stay in well-lit areas or use a flash light.
- Keep your camp site clean. Snakes feed on rodents and human food wrappers, and debris on the ground may draw rodents to the site and the snakes may follow.
- If you are camping in an area where there are snakes, check your site occasionally to make sure no snakes are passing through.
- If a snake comes on your site, stay away from it. Keep kids and pets away from it, and contact the campground office.
