Overview

• A 23-inch adder was filmed on Blorenge Mountain in Wales by walker Lorraine Flower, highlighting the growing number of sightings this season.
• South Wales Police have issued warnings for hikers and dog owners to keep pets on leads, particularly in areas like Port Eynon and Rhossili on the Gower coast.
• Adders, the UK's only venomous snake, are emerging from hibernation and are active from early spring to October, often basking in woodlands and heathlands.
• Recent incidents include a Jack Russell bitten in Thetford Forest, requiring urgent veterinary care, and an adder spotted swimming at Porth Wen beach in Anglesey.
• The Wildlife Trust advises that adder bites, while painful, are rarely fatal to healthy adults, but immediate medical or veterinary attention is essential if bitten.