An series of images appeared on my facebook profile that really disappointed me. Actually, it really just pissed me off.
These photos were taken by a herpetologist studying garter snakes. On October 5th, Neil Balchan arrived at his field site to gather data on wild garter snakes....what he found was a pile of around 50 snakes that had been ruthlessly butchered. Many had their heads smashed or were outright decapitated, and were killed so recently that most were still twitching and moving and a couple were even still just barely alive. Balchan identified one snake with a blue stripe (pictured above) as the first snake he had tagged for his study.
These garter snakes are small, harmless creatures that pose no risk to humans. These snakes were found in and around a hibernaculum, a den that houses dozens or even hundreds of snakes over winter; these animals were butchered as they were preparing to hibernate. What makes this even worse is that this horrible act wasn't committed around someone's home (that wouldn't justify it, but still), this took place deep in the woods, a pretty far walk from any vehicle. Whoever did this went into the wilderness for the sole purpose of killing defenseless wildlife.
What really grinds my gears is that anyone could look at this behavior and find it acceptable. Most of the comments were sympathetic to the snakes, even from individuals who hold no love for reptiles, but there were responses of approval. Some people actually believe this person did a good deed. This is one of the nightmares for herpetologists like myself. What other animals do we kill on this magnitude simply because we don't like them? And why do we think it is okay that since we dislike them, we can kill them? Imagine if people killed cats or dogs just because they didn't like them. Every day, people brag to me about the snakes they kill like it is a badge of honor. It's not just that it's considered acceptable to do so, it is considered admirable. So how do I help protect animals that much of the public has deemed appropriate to kill on sight?
I know snakes can be scary. Some can even be dangerous, but this isn't the answer to dealing with things we don't like. These are incredibly beneficial creatures that we rely on more heavily than we realize. We need to act like civilized humans and not just lash out violently when we see something that displeases us. You don't have to love snakes, you can even hate them, but you have to recognize what happened here as a horrific crime. This is the senseless slaughter of wildlife at the hands of someone who has no compassion for the environment.
And that, America, is what really grinds my gears.
