Rattlesnakes Not Allowed

The officials of the Baker administration presented their apologies after a controversial debate on establishing a venomous rattlesnakes colony in the Quabbin Reservoir.

The territory’s area was supposed to be on an island so that it would have been impossible for the snakes to leave it. According to Matthew Beaton, from the Energy and Environmental Affairs, even if the plan was reasonable and founded on sound science, it lacked support and engagement.

He stated that he would make a working team of administration officials, legislators, advocates, and locals to ponder the merits of the rattlesnake island and if others are still concerned, they will try to find other methods.

According to the chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, Sen. Anne Gobi, this plan would have worked seven months ago, before disapproval started to occur.

The Quabbin project first attempted to try and colonize an area with timber rattlesnakes. Over the last five years, state officials have been systematically capturing snakes born at Blue Hills Reservation in Milton and Mount Tom in Holyoke.

Then, the snakes were raised in captivity and released only when they were large enough to protect themselves against the other predators. According to state officials, the Quabbin target is to increase the snake’s survival chances in an isolated area, away from people.

Some locals have expressed their disapproval ever since the project was announced. According to the president of the Swift River Preservation Association, Martha Knightly, Mount Zion in the Quabbin is an inappropriate place for timber rattlesnakes.

Plus, others consider that even if the area where the snakes would be released were safe, visitors and tourists would get scared and never come back again, and this would have an adverse impact on the economy.

They think that people should live with the conception that the place is full of poisonous snakes. They will come to the conclusion that Quabbin is not a place to visit especially with your children.

It is already known that many people fear and do not understand snakes. We cannot compare a snake with a pony, so it is harder for someone to accept visiting a place where snakes live, to stay among them or to grow fond of them.

Image Source: Wikipedia