THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (KABC) — People hitting trails across Southern California are being warned to watch out for rattlesnakes following the death of a second person who was bitten.
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, a 46-year-old woman from Moorpark died after she was bit by a rattlesnake while hiking at Wildwood Regional Park on March 14.
Since then, Ventura County fire officials have received four reports of rattlesnake bites, including a teenage girl who was rescued from the Wendy Trail in Newbury Park, the outlet reported.
Earlier this month, a 25-year-old Costa Mesa man died a month after being bitten by a rattlesnake while biking in Irvine.
The family of a 25-year-old Costa Mesa man is demanding answers after he died following a rattlesnake bite suffered while mountain biking in Irvine.
Here are some things to keep in mind before your trek into nature:
Stay on marked trails and don’t venture into high grass, where you might run into a rattlesnake.
Pay attention to your surroundings, and if you see a rattlesnake, take a few steps back to get out of striking distance.
If you are bitten, stay calm and call 911.
Andrew Dowd with the Ventura County Fire Department says there are some things you shouldn’t do.
“We don’t suck the venom out anymore. That’s not a practice that we do. We don’t want you to put restrictive bands or tourniquets or anything like that… try to just lay still as much as possible until help arrives,” he said.
Also, do not pack the bite area with ice.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California is home to seven species of rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes typically avoid people and bites are considered rare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that out of the 7-8,000 venomous snake bites in the U.S. each year, only five people die.
Copyright © 2026 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.