Rattlesnake bites shopper in supermarket

A US shopper is recovering after he was bitten by a rattlesnake in a superstore's garden department.

Mica Craig, 47, said the snake pounced as he was shopping at the Wal-Mart store in Clarkston, Washington state.

He stamped on the reptile and was later treated at hospital with anti-venom, after his hand suffered serious swelling, reports the BBC.

Mr Craig said the rattlesnake attacked as he reached down to brush away what he thought was a stick from a bag of mulch.

The purchase was intended for his marijuana plants, which Mr Craig said he was licensed to grow for medical reasons.

Wal-Mart apologised, and said it was investigating how the snake had got into the store.

Spokeswoman Kayla Whaling said: "At this point, it appears to be an isolated incident.

"We are working with a pest management team, which is conducting a sweep of the property to ensure there is no additional rattlesnake activity."