A respected Melbourne snake catcher is fighting for his life after being bitten by a highly venomous tiger snake.
Mark Pelley was doing a routine job removing a snake from a property in Diamond Creek on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned and the snake bit him on the hand, startled.
His daughter Aishah Pelley said she saw him “lose consciousness very quickly before my eyes.”
“The venom entered directly into his bloodstream through a deep bite and immediately began to cause neurological effects,” Ms Pelley said.
Mr Pelley stopped breathing several times and she feared he was already dead as emergency services rushed to the property, she added.
Mark Pelley was removing a snake from a property in Diamond Creek on March 10 when his equipment malfunctioned, causing the snake to bite him on the hand.
Mr Pelley was bitten on the hand and was rushed to hospital
The single father of four daughters was given two doses of antivenom after the bite and is suffering muscle, nerve damage and heart irregularities while being treated in intensive care.
In another vicious blow, trolls have attacked the family, claiming that in a bid to attract attention, they are making much of the snake attack. Responding to the haters, Ms Pelley shared a video of her father in the hospital bed just before he stopped breathing.
‘I get nasty messages that I do this for attention. Here’s Dad in the hospital, just before he stopped breathing.
‘The poison affected his neurological system and he was unable to open or control his eyes.’
In the video, Mr Pelley warns Australians never to touch snakes.
“I can’t open my eyes and I feel so sick,” he said. This is what it looks like when you catch a tiger snake and it bites.”
“Even someone with as much experience as me can get bitten.”
Tiger snakes are notorious for their powerful venom and aggressive behavior when threatened. They are responsible for the second highest number of snakebites in Australia.
With a venom that attacks the nervous system, muscles and blood clotting, tiger snake bites can prove fatal in just 30 minutes, causing paralysis, breathing problems and organ failure.
Mark Pelley is pictured with a tiger snake on a previous job
Mr Pelley’s daughter Aishah is trying to raise money for the family while he is treated in hospital
Mrs. Pelley cares for her three sisters and grandmother while her father fights for life. She has now also taken over the family business and cares for the more than 100 animals her father cared for.
She has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family and continue construction of a new reptile center after the old office flooded in January.
“My father is my hero as a single father and the sole breadwinner for our family and our elderly grandmother. If you knew my father he would never ask for help, I am asking for your help at this time.
“Once Dad gets out of the hospital, it can be a long time before he can work properly again,” she explained.
Many Aussies donated to the fundraiser, with more than $21,945 raised on Friday morning.
“Mark has helped us twice, removing a tiger snake from near our doorstep and searching a bedroom of our house for a snake,” Sharyn Lanham wrote.
‘I wish Mark a speedy recovery and much strength for his family in this most difficult time.’