Photo courtesy of Medicine Hat Police Service

By Jayson Taylor

Unusual rattlesnake encounters puzzling people in the city

Jun 12, 2023 | 1:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Rattlesnakes are not uncommon in and around the Medicine Hat area. The sound of their rattle on their tails is a common sound to hear throughout the summer, especially when one is near tall vegetation. However, a couple incidents over the past week have puzzled residents.

On the weekend of June 4, city bylaw officers were dispatched to a report of a rattlesnake caught in some mesh. Officers were able to rescue the snake from the mesh and released the snake into the prairie later on.

“It’s a little bit of a unique scenario,” peace officer Colin Heyens said, “but with the rest of the members of our team, we had a plan, approached it for the safety of us and the snake to get the mesh off without hurting it. The public just needs to be aware that if you see a snake on a playground or someplace where the public frequents, they can always give us a call and we’ll come relocate it to a safe area for everyone.”

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Rattlesnakes are known to be a hazard to humans as they are venomous. Heyens says that the best thing for people to do when encountering a rattlesnake is to give it space.

“With any wildlife, you should try to give it its own space,” Heyens said on Monday, “because we coexist in this city together and so when you’re just out on the walking paths, just try to be aware of your surroundings. They’re very defensive, they’ll coil up and signal with their rattle, that you’re getting too close and to get it some distance.”

Another incident reported last week was when a guest at the Wyndham Garden Hotel nearly stepped on a rattlesnake just outside the lobby door. Sheri Monk from Snakes on a Plain captured the snake and later released the snake into the wild.

In a statement on Monday, Sheri Monk said that she expects rattlesnake encounters to potentially increase over the next couple of summers as the new Westvue Dog Park has caused many of the snakes to be displaced.

Heynes says that rattlesnakes can end up in unusual places due to climbing onto vehicles and being displaced that way, although he says this isn’t that common.

Those who encounter rattlesnakes in and around Medicine Hat can just call the Medicine Hat Bylaw Animal Control at 403-529-8436.