Snake Rodeos... All the Fun at the Fair!

Except it isn't fun at all.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure for many an American rustling themselves a rattlesnake gets the old heart pumping and the excitement flowing but some people seem to overlook the obvious animal cruelty implications of these kinds of events.  Snake rodeos are a tradition that have gone on for years in at least four US states: Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama.

Let me explain my understanding of a snake rodeo: they started as rattlesnake round-ups so the new settlers could eliminate the animal from the land they were trying to farm, with incentives offered to hunters so they would kill as many snakes as possible.  Now they have morphed into a twisted day out for all the family, there are still prizes for catching the most snakes.  Adults and children hack away at the animals decapitating them to cheers from the crowd, all for the sake of entertainment.  The animals themselves are not only exposed to this horrendous death but their treatment up to this point is diabolical.  A few examples include the following acts of torture: animals having their mouths sewn up to prevent them biting; animals being deprived of food and water; animals being exposed to extremes of heat and cold often until death; animals cooped up in confined spaces in a similar way to the battery hen.



They are many reasons why these rodeos still take place, among them: honouring a sense of tradition, plain old fun and (the big one!) keeping community finances in order.  As far as I understand the events do generate a lot of income for communities, both from the locals and from tourists.  There is however an animal friendly alternative that could still maintain the knowledge of where modern Americans have come from along with a new element, educating people about wildlife and the importance behind preserving it.  The towns that still hold these round-ups could replace them with wildlife festivals.  These too would bring in vital funds and sideshows, stalls and other attractions would all still be needed in this new setting and so financially unaffected.  San Antonio in Florida, and Fitzgerald and Claxton in Georgia have already changed their round-ups to successful wildlife festivals that generate income for their communities.  I hope Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Alabama are not far behind.


On 13th March the city of Opp in Alabama was presented with a petition of more than 55,000 signatures, by the Center for Biological Diversity and its allies. It calls for the Opp ‘rodeo’, to become a ‘Rattlesnake
Rodeo Wildlife Festival ’, with a no-kill policy.  I have written to the mayor Opp reiterating this idea and if you would like to do the same, please write to:


The Mayor’s Office
101 North Main Street
Opp, Alabama 36467
USA

Start your letter with ‘Dear Mr Mayor, or ‘Dear Mayor Bartholomew’ and end it ‘Yours sincerely’.

Some wording taken from Born Free's most current Activate campaign. 

Image from http://peaceriverdogfanciers.org