В Канаде отмечают Всемирный день змей: от страха к уважению к природе

Our history in pictures Published 8:00 am Thursday, July 16, 2026 One day, in the South Okanagan, I played a golf course near Osoyoos. And on this course were signs located at the side of the rough that, naturally, I would find. The signs said, “BEWARE OF SNAKES.” Well that was enough for me. Was it worth risking a rattler bite for a $4 Titleist? Absolutely not. Played the round, hit a couple of balls into the rough, the rattlesnakes could have them to play with. I went nowhere near the out-of-bounds areas to look for my ball. But then, later that day, at a cultural centre below the golf course, I took in a lecture about rattlesnakes, and why we should learn to share the territory with them. They are, after all, also frequently spotted in the North Okanagan, and they are a protected species. Can’t club them to death with a seven-iron even if I wanted to for fear of fine and arrest. But what I learned about rattlesnakes that night helped me overcome whatever fear – and we’re talking Indiana Jones, “SNAKES? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SNAKES?” kind-of-fear here – I had of the slithering serpents. I bring this up because not only are rattlers also prevalent here in our region, but today, Thursday, July 16, happens to be World Snake Day, according to daysoftheyear.com. “World Snake Day is an important day when it comes to increasing awareness about the different species of snake all around the world,” said the site. “Snakes tend to have a negative connotation. A lot of people are scared of snakes, and of course, we can definitely understand the reasons why! “No one likes the thought of being gobbled up by a snake, do they? Plus, when someone is two-faced or a bad person, they are often referred to as snakes. However, snakes are great creatures and they are so important to the world that we live in.” According to daysoftheyear.com: • There are more than 3,500 species of snakes around the world • Only 600 of those species are venomous • There are only 200 species that pose a considerable risk to human life • The snake is one of the oldest mythological creatures, and has been revered by civilizations around the globe. Those 3,500 species range from the semi-frozen tundra of northern Canada to the steamy jungles of the equator, and most of the world’s oceans (on that last point…I’ve seen a video of a rattlesnake swimming in a lake toward a boat. Full disclosure: I haven’t been in a lake since.). Snakes are highly effective predators and play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature in each of these realms. The species that seem to fascinate people the most, according to the website, are the King Cobra, the largest venomous snake in the world most people have seen in movies being coaxed out of a basket by a snake charmer; the rattlesnake, that has forced countless people to suck its poison out of the bite before it’s too late; and the Reticulated Python, the world’s longest snake that kills its prey by strangling it. World Snake Day was created to help people learn more about these animals and how much they contribute to the world as we know it. Which is why this week’s accompanying undated photo is a gem. It shows noted North Okanagan outdoors enthusiast Rosanne Van Ee holding a caged rattlesnake and extolling the good side of the snake to a young listener. And Van Ee continues to do such things through her column, Okanagan’s Nature Nut, which can be read in the pages of the Morning Star and online at vernonmorningstar.com.