Perhaps you've seen what is in the news in Ontario. If you haven't, you probably will: " ‘Unusual’ number of snake bites in Ontario this summer, official says" released by A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Natural Resources. They're blaming all of these bites (six, not proven) on the rare, elusive Ontario Massasauga Rattlesnake.
I've seen more full grown rattlesnakes out in the open in the past 2 years, than in the last 50 or so years.
They have been wandering helplessly because their natural habitats have been destroyed for new developments. Two places I know that still have (had) populations now have been clear cut & bulldozed. These snakes have lost their natural range and the ones that were not run over by machinery are now roaming around lost... just right pickings for some idiot to come up and annoy it until it strikes back. I've also seen many avoidable ones purposely run over. I caught 2 kids killing one with a canoe paddle, too late for the poor thing by the time we got there.
I have seen many killed, but have yet to see anyone get "one year in prison and a $250,000 fine". Has this ever been enforced?
I've escorted many, many a rattlesnake off of a road, ATV trail, walking path (basically anywhere where they will run into a human, or their illegally off-leash dog) and I've never been bitten or has the animal even attempted to strike.
What in the world do these people do to provoke these poor things?
This MNR statement will only encourage the ignorant to kill more of these poor things. If you don't want to see a rattlesnake, stay in YOUR natural habitat... the city.
P.S. Are these proven rattlesnake bites?? The areas where these people claimed to have been bitten are populated by the much more aggressive, populous, harmless, Watersnake.
Don't Kill Snakes!
Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Info:
http://lakehuron.ca/index.php?page=eastern-massasauga-rattlesnake
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