TEMPLE, Texas — A 10-year-old Belton ISD elementary student is recovering after being bit by a rattlesnake on the playground Tuesday afternoon, according to Temple Fire & Rescue.
The fire department responded to the call around 2 p.m. after a High Point Elementary Student was bit. The child, who was not identified, was taken to the hospital by EMS with no-life-threatening injuries.
The fire department said the rattlesnake was caught and is no longer a threat.
With that, the department also reminded the community that warmer weather means wildlife is on the move, thus increasing encounters with humans, and said everyone should pay close attention to their surroundings.
Safety tips to prevent a snake bite include:
- Be cautions near high grass, trash or wood piles
- Move things around with a shovel instead of picking items up when you cannot see underneath
- Do not pick up snakes
- Back away from the area where the snake was located
- Leave snakes alone
Correction: An earlier version of this story said High Point Elementary is part of Temple ISD. The elementary is part of Belton ISD.