DENVER, N.C. - It's the making of some people's nightmares, but for one man, an encounter with a copperhead snake was all too real.
He was bitten by that snake Monday, while shopping at a Lincoln County Lowe's Home Improvement store.
The East Lincoln Fire Department says the snake was in a tree on display in the stores’ outdoor garden center, and it bit the man as he walked by.
"He said he's in a lot of pain and it hurts real bad,” a store employee told the 911 operator.
Experts say it’s possible the snake slithered into the tree at the store, or it could have already been on the tree when it was delivered to the store by a vendor. Either way, they say it’s rare for a copperhead to be in a tree.
That said, especially during spring, they say it’s important to be aware when you’re outdoors.
“Anytime that you bring in any type of material like mulch, pinestraw -- always be aware that it's coming from an area that could have copperheads. Always wear gloves -- that's a very smart thing -- because even though they have fangs, a lot of times they can't penetrate through the thick, leather glove,” Marvin Bouknight, director of the Charlotte Nature Museum, said.
The man who was bitten is expected to be OK.
A Lowe's spokeswoman says employees found no other snakes at the Lincoln County store.