NORTH CAROLINA -- Venomous snakes bite thousands of people every year, and it seems more people in the Tar Heel State are getting to know what snake venom feels like.

• According to NC Poison Control, there’s been a significant jump in the amount of people calling about snake bites.
• Last month, 50% more people called about snake bites than the previous four-year average in April.
• If a snake bite happens, stay calm, call Poison Control, wash the bite with soap and water.

According to NC Poison Control, there’s been a significant jump in the amount of people calling about snake bites.

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Last month, 50% more people called about snake bites than the previous four-year average in April.

“Best thing to do if you encounter a snake is to just leave it alone,” Erin Fisher of Discovery Place Nature said. “Because most people are bitten when they try to mess with the snake, they try to move it out of the area, or they try to kill it.”

If a snake bite happens, stay calm, call Poison Control, wash the bite with soap and water.

Poison Control’s number is 1-800-222-1222.