Poisonous snake (illustration)
Poisonous snake (illustration)Thinkstock

A factory worker in Dalton, a moshav in the northern Galil, found an unwelcome surprise waiting for him on Wednesday morning under a box in the factory warehouse.

The 28-year-old worker was bit in his left hand by a poisonous viper after lifting the box it was evidently hiding behind, reports Channel 10.

He was evacuated to the Ziv Hospital in nearby Tzfat (Safed), while in light to moderate condition.

As for the snake, it was captured after getting caught in rolls of tape that were at the site.

The biting is the latest incident in a string of similar serpentine encounters.

Just ahead of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot last Tuesday evening, a three-year-old boy was bitten by a snake in the Negev community of Har Amasa while playing in a local playground. He was evacuated by helicopter to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for continued treatment.

The week before, a massive two-meter (roughly six-and-a-half feet) long snake bit a man in his 70s at his home in Givat Yearim, a moshav to the west of Jerusalem. He was transferred to a hospital while conscious and in stable condition.

A poisonous viper snake was found three weeks ago in an upscale north Tel Aviv kindergarten playground, slithering near to where the children were playing. Eventually a trapper was able to capture the snake before it caused any harm.

A similar case occurred earlier last month, when a 10-year-old boy from Kibbutz Givat Haim Meuhad, located near Hadera on the coast, was bit by a poisonous viper snake. The boy was brought to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, where he was given an antidote and saved from danger.