CBS 11 (Fort Worth, Texas) 09 August 06 Residents Say Copperhead Snakes A Problem In NRH (Stephanie Lucero)
North Richland Hills: Copperhead snakes are a big concern in North Richland Hills. It’s such a concern that area neighbors are circulating a petition demanding city hall take action.
Darinda Howeth says she keeps two pairs of boots, two flashlights and two shovels near her garage door. She says they’re worn every time she walks her dogs at night.
“It’s just a potential danger that eventually someone’s going to get bitten or potentially die.”
Howeth is referring to Copperhead snakes that have been spotted in back yards of houses on Acts Court in North Richland Hills. Some 75 residents have signed a petition asking the City to remove the poisonous snakes from Cross Timbers Park.
The Howeth’s and other families say the snakes are multiplying quickly and pose a potential risk to anyone who is bitten by one of the snakes.
“We can’t even enjoy our backyard anymore. We have grandbabies but they’re not allowed to go to the backyard by themselves,” says Gina Helm. The North Richland Hills grandmother says her husband was hospitalized five years ago after he was bitten by a Copperhead snake.
Howeth says she and her husband have found four Copperhead snakes in their backyard. They kept pictures of two of them and say the largest snake was three-feet long.
North Richland Hills city officials say it would not be practical to remove the poisonous snakes from the park because those that were left would multiply.
“There is a balance to the eco-system out there and if you take one part of it, it’s going to upset that eco-system. The experts are telling us the snakes are native to the area and if we try to remove them, the species will be re-populated,” says Mary Edwards, North Richland Hills spokesperson.
Residents like Darinda Howeth disagree. “Somewhere there’s got to be a line drawn that we say human life is much more important than Copperhead snakes and eco-systems. We can learn to control the eco-system in other ways.”
Some of the homeowners who signed the petition are planning to present it to the North Richland Hills City Council next Monday.
Residents Say Copperhead Snakes A Problem In NRH