NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A New Jersey state senator was hospitalized earlier this week after being bitten by a rattlesnake while feeding them at his family's zoo.
State Sen. Parker Space, 56, was bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake around noon on Monday while feeding mice to the snakes at Space Farms Zoo and Museum, his family-owned establishment in Sussex County.
"It didn't hurt at all to begin with," Space told NJ.com. "Then my finger started to swell up. Then it was double the size."
Space was initially treated at Newton Medical Center, where he received 14 vials of antivenom over two days. On New Year's Eve, he was transferred to a New York City hospital specializing in snake bites for further care. By Wednesday, he had been discharged and is expected to make a full recovery.
Space returned to work on Thursday at Space Farms Zoo and Museum.
Space was elected to the New Jersey Senate in 2023 after serving in the General Assembly from 2013 to 2023. A lifelong farmer, he is the owner of Space Farms Zoo and Museum, which has been a staple in northwest New Jersey since 1927. His family has farmed in Sussex County for eight generations.
Space resides in Wantage with his wife and three children.
