Man hospitalized for rattlesnake bites

INGLEWOOD, Calif., June 12 (UPI) -- A California man was making a steady recovery in the hospital after a rattlesnake bit him twice at a park near Los Angeles, officials say.

The 22-year-old man said he thought the snake was a harmless breed when he grabbed it Tuesday night, Inglewood Police Sgt. Gabriela Garcia said.

The man tried driving himself to a medical center with the snake in a container after the animal bit him twice, the Los Angles Times reported.

Garcia said emergency rescue workers found the man after he called 911 on his way to the hospital.

The man was listed in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman told the Times.