Dog flown down from Dead Mountains by police helicopter after adder bite

The affected animal is a mixed-breed dog weighing around 35 kilograms. After the bite, the dog was no longer able to move on its own. "Schließlich konnte sich der rund 35 Kilogramm schwere Mischling nicht mehr fortbewegen", the police reported. At the same time, the animal's circulatory condition increasingly worsened, and one paw swelled up massively.

European adder as the region's only venomous snake

The European adder is the only venomous snake found in the Dead Mountains. Its bite can be life-threatening depending on the size of the dog, the bite location, and the amount of venom injected. Which snake specifically bit the dog was not explicitly confirmed in the APA report; the police only spoke of a snakebite in the area mentioned.

After being rescued by the police helicopter, the owner set off with the dog immediately to see a veterinarian. "Dort machte sich der Besitzer mit dem Hund sofort auf den Weg zu einem Tierarzt", the police report stated. No information was initially available about the further condition of the animal.

Unclear prognosis for the dog

As a police spokesperson told APA, however, it is not known how the animal is doing or how well it survived the incident. Thus, the day after the operation, it remained unclear whether the mixed-breed dog had survived the bite without consequences or required further veterinary treatment.

The region around the Rinnerhütte in the Dead Mountains is a popular hiking area in Upper Austria. European adders are native to alpine habitats in Austria, and encounters with dogs occur regularly during the warm season.

The operation shows how mountain rescuers and police helicopters are also called in for animal rescues when owners can no longer manage on their own. In the summer months, such rescue flights are not uncommon in alpine terrain.