In June, employees at a car dealership in Vancouver got a surprise. They found a snake in a Ferrari.
The dealership called the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. Support Centre Helpline.
“To our surprise, a photo determined it wasn’t a local Garter snake, but a Northern Pacific Rattlesnake,” Wildlife Rescue posted on Facebook.
Employees had driven the car to Osoyoos. The snake had crawled into the undercarriage of the car. It rode there on the trip back to Vancouver.
How did the snake get home?
A rescue and transport volunteer took the snake to Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge.
Dr. Adrian Walton and his team named the snake Enzo. They found it had been microchipped for research by the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos.
Osoyoos is almost 400 kilometres from Vancouver.
Dr. Walton drove Enzo back home to Osoyoos. He used his car. Enzo did not get to ride home in a Ferrari.
Adapted from Comox Valley Record • Photo: Dewdney Animal Hospital
What to do if you meet a rattlesnake
Rattlesnake bites are very rare in British Columbia. They are almost never fatal. Most snake bites happen when people try to handle or harm rattlesnakes.
Snakes are afraid of humans. Their first response is to hide. Their second response is to escape.
Rattlesnakes rattle if they are surprised, cornered or feel threatened. They will only strike to avoid harm.
Warning signs of a strike include a body in a coil, head slightly raised with the neck in an ‘s’ shaped curve, and rattling.
If you hear a rattlesnake:
- Stop right away and find the snake.
- If the snake is close, stay still and allow the snake to calm down and back away.
- Once the snake is one body length away, step back and go around the snake.
Adapted from wildsafebc.com
