[Anchor]
As the heat eases up a bit, many of you are probably going out for outings or hiking. With Chuseok approaching, the number of people visiting family graves will likely increase, and September happens to be the month with the highest number of snakebites and bee stings in the entire year.
Reporter Jang Seon-i shares what you need to watch out for.
[Reporter]
Woraksan National Park in North Chungcheong Province.
This is around a gravesite just a few steps away from the hiking trail.
A snake reveals itself among the grass.
When the camera gets close, it raises its head straight up and charges forward.
The mamushi viper, which accounts for the most bite accidents in the country, and the tiger keelback, which is mistakenly known to be non-venomous, are both venomous snakes inhabiting this area.
It is particularly dangerous during autumn, including September.
[Song Jae-young / Senior Researcher, Korea National Park Service: Around August and September, mother snakes carry babies in their bodies. They give birth around September and October. As a result, the snakes themselves can become sensitive, and their activity increases in autumn to prepare for hibernation.]
This is also confirmed by the numbers.
Over the past five years, about 4,200 people were rushed to 119 ambulances after being bitten by snakes, with September recording the highest number at 886.
If bitten, treatment can take up to a month, and it can even be fatal.
While the heat still lingers, it is easy to encounter snakes in shaded forests, and they are not easily distinguishable to the naked eye.
Snakes have poor vision and hearing.
Instead, they sense vibrations in the ground.
Therefore, when entering grassy areas, it is best to tap the ground like this to give the snakes time to get away.
We visited a house near the mountains.
A hornet's nest had been built under the eaves.
Bee sting accidents are also concentrated around this time of year when outdoor activities increase.
In September of last year alone, about 2,100 people were taken to hospitals for bee stings.
That averages out to 70 people a day.
[Hong Jong-tae / Head of Songgye 3-ri, Jecheon: Asian giant hornets are common around gravesites. Because graves are formed with soft soil that is not tightly packed, Asian giant hornets frequently inhabit those areas.]
Hornets attack simply from vibrations and the presence of people, even without being touched.
If a swarm of bees attacks, you should not lie down, but rather get away from the area immediately.
You must put a distance of at least 20 meters or more between you and them.
Experts recommend inspecting the area around gravesites for about 5 to 10 minutes before mowing the grass around graves (beomcho).
(Video by Kang Si-woo, Video Editing by Kim Yoon-sung)
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