The Systematic Eradication of an Iconic Animal
We have been cavalier about the natural world for far too long. It is time to demand better of ourselves.
WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES
Appallingly, humans are still calloused enough that we intentionally and wantonly kill certain animals we don’t understand. We need to become advanced enough, as a species and as individuals, that we recognize the inherent value in all life forms. Instead of bending the planet to our own flawed image, we should view it as our job to learn to live in harmony with the natural world.
Conservation Through Education seeks to overcome fear and ignorance and instill a sense of value and respect for all wildlife.
You probably know people who will kill a snake on sight, solely for the crime of being alive. Although each individual may only kill a small number of snakes, millions of people doing so adds up to a considerable amount of senseless destruction. When combined with the many other pressures on wildlife, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, it comes as no surprise that studies show these animals in population decline.
In some areas, people actually make a public spectacle of such activity. Some communities host “Rattlesnake Roundups,” which have become a mainstay of these small-town economies. Leading up to these ghastly events, thousands of snakes are harvested from the wild, typically by flushing them from their retreats (called hibernacula) with gasoline fumes. Any snake fortunate enough to escape the fumes is collected to be killed at the “festival.” These animals are then left to languish, starve, and sometimes suffocate in buckets and bins for weeks. Finally, they are decapitated and skinned before wide-eyed onlookers who arrive in droves to gawk at the carnage.
In response to a rain of protests from biologists and naturalists, paltry excuses are put forth, such as the meat being used for food. Such transparent justifications ring hollow when one considers that these animals are not feeding destitute people. These snakes are being inhumanely housed and killed to prop up townships that are either unable or unwilling to build a sustainable economy free from sensationalized cruelty.
Apart from the pangs of conscience one should feel at such “festivals,” the past and present are replete with examples of species being decimated when harvesting them becomes a commercial activity. If we want to avoid that with these iconic and beneficial animals, it is ultimately up to the consumers to stop supporting these activities.
In an age where we should be instilling a value for our natural heritage as a cornerstone for the next generation, these events institutionalize destruction and disrespect.
There is hope, however. Many of these festivals have voluntarily reformed their nature and have become (still profitable) wildlife festivals. At these, the public can learn about these fascinating members of their local ecosystem and gain a new appreciation for animals they may have previously feared. Biologists and naturalists continue to entreat the remaining destructive communities to voluntarily reform and progress.
Wildlife agencies in the states that have yet to ban the ecologically disastrous technique of gassing wild habitat need to do so. Unfortunately, when people are convinced that their livelihoods depend on a practice (humane or not) it can be difficult to enact change. Please contribute what you can to the organizations that are working toward the reform and transformation of the remaining destructive Roundups, even if your part is as simple as participating in a boycott.
Optimally, naturalists should find ways to present sound natural history education to those willing to receive it in these areas. We need to keep applying both pressure and encouragement in the hope that they will voluntarily adopt humane and sustainable behaviors.
We need to get to a point where people are mortified that such events are not yet a thing of the past. Even if we can’t change the callous minds that host these spectacles, they will finally stop when people stop paying to see cruelty. Regardless of which tack gets us to the goal, thousands of animals are suffering every year as long as these barbaric events continue to take place, so we should seek reform by every available means until the killing stops.
Ask yourself which future we want for our grandchildren. Do we want a natural heritage that includes beautiful, iconic, and beneficial animals living safely and being respected in their natural habitat…
Or shall we keep allowing ourselves and our progeny to be desensitized to needless death and destruction?
For more information, read Rattlesnake Roundups, Rattlesnake Roundups Revisited, or join Rise Against Rattlesnake Roundups on Facebook.
Do you like learning about reptiles, amphibians, and cooperating with the natural world? Follow our wildlife center on Facebook, join our Snake Identification Group, or pick up a beautiful hardcover of the author’s book, A Primer on Reptiles & Amphibians: A Collection of Educational Nature Bulletins, on Amazon! We also have pro-reptile stickers and tee-shirts in our store. 100% of the proceeds go to nonprofit use to help animals!
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