A YOUNG girl was left fighting for her life after she was bitten by an adder during a day out with her family at a UK nature reserve.
Lil, 11, was attacked by a venomous snake while on the children’s adder trail at Fringringhoe Wick Nature Reserve on Sunday.
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The reptile lashed out at her hand after she crouched down to get a closer look.
Lil’s mother, Sam Lythgho, 41, became instantly concerned and rushed her daughter to Colchester General Hospital.
However, Lil’s chest had already swollen by the time they got there and she was violently sick in A&E until doctors managed to find the anti-venom.
Sam told the Mirror: “Within 20 minutes her organs were shutting down and you could see the venom tracking up her arm.”
There were no signs indicating how dangerous the reptiles were on the adder trail, according to the mum.
The family were looking for pictures of the UK’s only venomous snakes in the hopes of winning a prize.
Instead, Lil’s organs began failing and doctors struggled to find a pulse at one point.
Luckily, she was given anti-venom and 20 minutes later she let her mother know that she was feeling better.
Lil, who wants to be a vet when she gets older, recovered and was released from the hospital a couple of days later.
Sam now wants to raise awareness of the dangers of snake bites to stop others from going through the trauma.
She said: “If I had taken her home I don’t know if she would be here now.”
Colchester General Hospital only had one anti-venom available and is now going to do more training in the event it happens again.
A spokesperson from Essex Wildlife Trust said: “Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Centre has a clear sign at the entrance to our centre and on our website about adders, including information about taking caution and what to do if bitten.”
The family were advised to keep away from any adders they saw and to stick to the path, they added.
The nature reserve contacted Sam and her family to check up on Lil’s condition over the following days.
To ensure this doesn’t happen again, the Trust will be adding more warning signs around the reserve to remind the public of the dangers adders possess.
The UK’s only venomous snakes can be found across the county, especially in people’s gardens and other local green spaces.
The Trust has urged people to admire them from afar and keep a large distance to keep “yourself and wildlife safe”.
It comes after a Brit tourist was left fighting for her life in intensive care after a poisonous snake bit her during a holiday trip to Cyprus.
And members of the public are being warned to watch their step after a woman was left hospitalised following a snake bite.