I visited a state park this last week and camped for a bit and just found such disturbing treatment of a few snakes at their nature center. One of them being a copperhead. This is what I posted on cornsnakes forum, fiqured I'd post it here, it's easier to post the same post than to type it out all over again. I'm just so frustrated.
I couldn't believe it when I walked into the nature center and seen live snakes. Live snakes wasn't to out of the norm, but they had a black rat, a water snake, a milk snake and a copperhead. Every single one of their enclosures were small and dirty. The ratsnakes water had feces in it, all of them had some sort of feces at least in two piles in the cage. I couldn't find any one person there to care for them. I went on a hike, came back an hour later, there were three rangers there, I went to the restroom and when I came back out. I found they had fed the copperhead. Only problem was, nobody was actually in the building they were all outside chatting and the live mice were in the enclosure with the copper. The copper wasn't in the last bit interested and was in the same place he was when I left. The rats water bowl was actually filled and still had the feces in it!
I was so ticked off, here the government tells us we must regulate this and that with our hobby, but they can blatantly ignore the very same needs they cover in legislation. Made me so very angry to see these animals living like this. The milk had very baggy skin and it was dry and looked as if his scales were lifting away from his body like an eyelash vipers scales lift. I was so angry, say something to the ranger in charge and her response was...I don't take care of the snakes and the person who does isn't here today.
Grrrrr Sorry I had to rant.
Izora
