Australian man dies protecting his pet dog from snake

  • 13/01/2018
The eastern brown snake is the deadliest snake in Australia.
The eastern brown snake is the deadliest snake in Australia. Photo credit: Getty

An Australian man has died after being bitten by a snake while trying to protect his dog.

The 24-year-old was rushed to hospital with a suspected brown snake bite on his finger on Wednesday night in Tamworth, near Sydney, but died within the hour.

Local media report the man was bitten in his backyard as he tried to move the snake, which was hissing at the family pet.

He then went to show the bite to his mother, who put the snake in a jar and then immediately took her son to hospital, The Australian reports.

He died 40 minutes later.

A New South Wales police spokesman says officers took control of the snake but could not kill it as they are considered an endangered species.

The eastern brown snake, often referred to as the common brown snake, is the most dangerous snake in Australia, responsible for around 60 percent of all snake deaths.

Newshub.