Biologist says trash threatens snakes
A Windsor biologist, shocked over the amounts of trash recently pulled out of the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, is worried about what it could mean for the survival of at-risk species. “People need to know Ojibway is not a garbage dump,” said Jonathan Choquette, Wildlife Preservation Canada’s lead Ojibway biologist. “When you have illegal dumping, it smothers the habitat, whether it’s a habitat for plants or snakes.” A few weeks ago, two interns were assigned to do a “simple” garbage cleanup at the park. But the cleanup turned into a weeklong project with more than 230 kg of garbage being hauled out of the centre of the park.
The garbage included mangled and torn sleeping bags and abandoned tents. The pair even came across 10 different illegal campsites in the park.
“Not only is it illegal to dump trash there but it’s also unsightly,” said Choquette. “You have a natural area that’s home to some of the rarest plants and animals in Canada, and you see all these piles of blankets and garbage strewn all around, it’s hard to see.” Ojibway Prairie Provincial Park, located between Malden and Matchette roads, is a nature reserve that provides habitat for six types of snakes, including three atrisk species, including the Massasauga rattlesnake, Butler’s garter snake and the Eastern foxsnake. The park is a vital part of Windsor’s original tallgrass prairie and savannah ecosystem and offers the perfect mix for snakes who are looking to stay hidden from predators, hibernate in the winter and be able to find food sources.
“It was quite surprising to us,” he said.
“The little habitat that we have, as you can imagine, is very important to us for these endangered snakes and other wildlife, so to see it encroached upon and disrespected in the way it was is concerning.” Choquette says the Massasauga rattlesnake’s survival is “hanging by a thread” as there has been a history of intentional killings which have drastically reduced their population.
“When people are illegally camping there and staying within parts of the park that are snake habitats it puts snakes at risk of being killed by these people,” he said. “We have a nature reserve designed to protect wild animals.
“So when we have people who may be ignorant to the importance of these animals, they could be potentially encountering and killing them, that’s a risk we are not comfortable with.”
When you have illegal dumping, it smothers the habitat, whether it’s a habitat for plants or snakes.