Compassion for all animals, even snakes
Some people will ridicule your snake-saving life commitment, while others, like me, see your compassionate response as quite normal.
Dear Dr. Fox: I want to encourage you to write a column about snakes. All they want is to be left alone! Also, while I completely agree with your statement that ownership of nondomesticated animals should be banned, I want to tell you the story of our little special-needs rescue rat snake. I hope you’ll see that exceptions must sometimes be made.
Orion is our fella’s name, and his mother was killed with a shovel. She gave birth anyway, as snakes do, and all of his siblings who survived were releasable. However, Orion suffered some sort of brain damage in the attack.
His sensory perception seems to be lessened and he loses his balance if he turns too fast. In the wild, he’d starve to death if some predator bird didn’t snatch him up first.
Someone with compassion brought his mom to the rescue center, and they saved Orion and as many siblings as they could. The rescue is very focused on returning injured animals to the wild, especially snakes, but Orion was obviously not a candidate.
Long story short, we met this sweet, docile little guy and took the leap, adding him to our family of six other dog/ cat rescues. Orion is safe in his terrarium and the balance problems bother him very infrequently. He can’t hunt very well, but if we help him a little, he can track a frozen mouse and eats fine. We keep him in a stress-free environment and consider that our main priority, as that is the best way to keep him healthy.
Right or wrong, he needed someone’s help, and I’m grateful to have the chance to provide it. He’s a 20-year commitment, but his life is worth the same as any other animal out there.
Anyway, snakes help this planet immensely and people need to be reminded of that, by a respected voice like yours. Snakes will leave people alone and have no interest in hurting any human, ever. They’re just scared because we’re big. There is no animal that has suffered as much blind, ignorant mistreatment as snakes.
Thanks for listening and thanks for sticking up for snakes. I’m interested in your thoughts on Orion (although I’m committed to caring for him for his whole life, so please don’t talk me out of it). — A.B.
Dear A.B.: Some people will ridicule your snake-saving life commitment, while others, like me, see your compassionate response as quite normal.
Obviously, this neurologically impaired little snake could not be released into his natural habitat except as food for some predator. Since there was no evident suffering and you were available to provide food and a safe environment, euthanasia was not an option.
State authorities could come and confiscate Orion if it is illegal in your state to keep wild animals that are regarded as state property, and if you do not have a wildlife keeper’s or rehabilitator’s permit.