A woman was bitten by a 10ft (3m)-long python while on her
way to get a takeaway curry in Swansea. Sue Cull, 47, was bitten on both legs by the snake as she walked through long
grass. Pythons are normally found in tropical Asia and Africa, but Sue was attacked
in Dyfatty near Swansea city centre. Police confirmed a python had been reported missing from a nearby home before
being safely captured. Ms Cull said: "Who would think you would get attacked by a python in Swansea?
"It's bizarre, when you're walking around you don't
think there's going to be a python attacking you. If we had been told by police there was a snake on the loose I wouldn't have
walked through the grass on this lovely summer's night." She added: "At first I thought the pain was just stinging nettles but looked
down to see blood streaming onto my shoes. I had no idea it was a snake because it was dark. I would have been scared
out of my life if I had seen it."
Ms Cull said when she arrived home her partner asked if she had fallen over
because she was bleeding. She called an ambulance when efforts to stem the bleeding with a first aid
kit bandage failed. Paramedics told her she had been bitten by a snake. Doctors at Swansea's Morriston Hospital confirmed she had suffered python
bites after consulting the Medical Reptile Unit in London. Python bites are not poisonous but they kill their prey by constricting
them. "When they said it was a snake bite I couldn't believe my ears," said
Sue.
"Even doctors and nurses at the hospital were gobsmacked. They'd never had to
deal with a python bite before. My right leg went black and I was shaking and couldn't get warm. My face
started to swell up. I was put on three different drips and my face started swelling up - the
blood wouldn't stop coming from my right leg. They had to give me X-rays to make sure there were no fangs stuck in my
legs. The bites are still sore to touch but, thankfully, I've made a full
recovery."
There's an audio interview with Ms Cull here.
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