
Unusually active rattlesnake season claims third California death
A 78-year-old woman in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley died after being bitten three times by a rattlesnake while walking on rural property. Her death marks the third fatality in California during this unusually active snake season, driven by unseasonable warmth and rain that brings snakes out of burrows as more residents head outdoors. While bites are common, fatalities are rare; stay on designated trails, give snakes space, and call 911 and the California Poison Control System if bitten.

