Roughly a mile of Bermudian terrain, searched at dusk and dawn for ten days, and not one trace of a snake. That is the record so far on a report that reached the Ministry of Public Works and Environment on June 26.
The report concerned a possible eastern diamondback rattlesnake in Southampton, in the Gibbs Hill Road area. Officials called it credible. The ministry said so at once, and teams from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo began what the Royal Gazette described as coordinated monitoring and response work.
What residents were told
The instructions were blunt. Anyone who thought they had seen the animal should call 911 and keep clear. Nobody was to approach it, capture it or harm it. If it could be done safely, people were asked to keep it in view from a distance until authorities arrived.
Householders near Gibbs Hill Road got more specific advice: do not reach blindly into dense vegetation, under boards, into pipes or inside enclosed spaces. Pet owners were told to keep dogs and cats indoors or closely supervised. No injuries had been reported.
The authorities also prepared for the worst case. They were sourcing antivenom and extra protective gear for responders, and Health Minister Kim Wilson said medical resources were being readied as a precaution. She put the risk to the public at low.
Dogs, flights and a bill
Three weeks on, the effort had grown. Robert Nozika and Sara Boese, who run the U.S.-based National Canine Facility, arrived on July 16 with two Labrador retrievers, K9 Yak and K9 Q. Staff from the environment department, the aquarium and zoo, and other island groups joined the dog teams on the ground.
The ministry later reported that the search had turned up no snake scent and no physical traces.
Minister Jaché Adams told the Royal Gazette that about $50,000 had gone on the response to the June 26 report. “A large chunk of [the $50,000] was focused on the dogs and the logistics of the handlers and the flights,” he said. Searching was timed to dusk and dawn, he explained, because those were the hours the snake was thought most likely to be moving and therefore easiest to detect.
The figure was reported alongside a separate cost. A visit by a fire ant specialist, part of Bermuda’s response to red imported fire ants found in Hamilton Parish in November and at Hamilton’s commercial docks in December, came to about $16,800. Together the two items reached nearly $67,000, according to the Royal Gazette.
The Bermuda Police Service described its own investigation as being at a “delicate stage”. Adams said the sighting “warranted a comprehensive response” and that “all options are being considered and strongly being investigated at this point.” The Southampton report remains open.
Sources
- A Possible Rattlesnake Sighting Has Bermuda Residents Checking Yards and Dense Vegetation
- Bermuda spent nearly $67,000 in response to rattlesnake sighting, and still found no snake
