Rattlesnake halts construction on major B.C. highway
Rattlesnake halts construction on major B.C. highway
Rattlesnake halts construction on major B.C. highway
Road crews in B.C. found and rescued a Western Rattlesnake on Highway 8 on May 16, 2022. (Credit: Twitter/TranBC)
Crews working to rebuild B.C.'s Highway 8 encountered a relatively rare rattlesnake Monday.
According to a social media post from the Ministry of Transportation, the western rattlesnake was found near Spences Bridge.
"Work stopped immediately, the onsite environmental monitor alerted, and the snake was relocated to a safe zone," the post reads.
Identified as a species at risk by the federal government, it is "the only truly venomous snake species native to British Columbia."
The province says a "small population" of these snakes is found in the dry valleys of the province's southern Interior, where they come out of hibernation in April.
Agricultural and urban development encroaching on their natural habitat as well as "road mortality" are two factors threatening the species, according to the federal government. They also have a "low reproductive potential," giving birth to small litters of between two and eight young every three to four years. This, according to the province, means the long-term survival of adults is crucial for the
"Human persecution," according to both the province and the feds has been and continues to be the most significant threat.
"Their exaggerated reputation for danger has resulted in needless killing of rattlesnakes, drastically reducing some local populations," according to the B.C. Environment Ministry.
"Lack of knowledge and fear of rattlesnakes have resulted in persecution and killing of snakes," says the federal species at risk registry.
Wildsafe BC says fewer than five people are bitten by a rattlesnake each year in British Columbia and the conservation service receives approximately 40 calls annually about these reptiles.
"Bites are rarely fatal if treated promptly. Most snake bites are due to people deliberately trying to handle or harm rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes should ONLY be moved if they are a direct threat to you or your family," the website says, going on to describe the snake's behaviour and temperament.
"It is generally shy and non-aggressive. If cornered, however, rattlesnakes will rattle their tails vigorously while forming an aggressive coil with the head raised and the neck. Striking is a last resort, usually employed if cornered by a predator or occasionally when suddenly stepped on."
Rattlesnake sightings should be reported by calling 1-877-952-7277
Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen said Monday afternoon that police have identified 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as a person of interest and cautioned he should be considered armed and dangerous.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
A 41-year-old man will be charged with kidnapping and rape after an Edmonton girl who was missing for more than a week was found, Oregon City Police said.
COVID-19 cases are rising again in Canada, with the two fast-spreading Omicron sub-variants known as BA.4 and BA.5 to blame. CTVNews.ca has a guide to what you need to know about the new variants.
The federal government says it has signed a $20-billion final settlement agreement to compensate First Nations children and families harmed by chronic underfunding of child welfare.
More witnesses are coming forward with new details on the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot following former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's devastating testimony last week against former U.S. President Donald Trump, says a member of a U.S. House committee investigating the insurrection.
The Victoria Police Department says two officers needed to "leap" out of the way of a large pickup truck after the driver tried to flee from them on Friday.
The mayor of Langford, B.C., and the city's retired fire chief are back in Canada after making a journey to Ukraine to provide humanitarian aid to people suffering amid the ongoing Russian invasion.
Researchers in Washington state are sounding the alarm over the health of the southern resident killer whale population, saying at least 13 of the orcas appear to be in poor condition.
A 41-year-old man will be charged with kidnapping and rape after an Edmonton girl who was missing for more than a week was found, Oregon City Police said.
As thieves continue to steal catalytic converters by cutting them off cars, it doesn’t really matter how old your vehicle is or what kind of shape it's in.
Until now, Quebec has required patients to have ultrasounds before getting the pills that induce a medical abortion. In the rest of Canada, that measure was abandoned in 2019.
Hanna Kovalenko was leading a comfortable lifestyle with her husband and two little girls in Mariupol, Ukraine, when all of a sudden her hometown became the epicentre of a full-scale war.
Rick Bowness doesn't mind being the second choice. The new Winnipeg Jets head coach took part in his first press conference Monday, a little more than a week after first target Barry Trotz declined the team's offer because the veteran wanted to spend more time with his family.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
Former Saskatchewan premier Brad Wall was in contact with a key organizer of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest, providing strategic advice before and after the Ottawa occupation began, according to court records obtained by CTV News.
The CAT ferry, which sails between Yarmouth, N.S., and Bar Harbour, Maine, has sold more than 20,000 tickets so far this year, that’s up from the 15,100 tickets sold as of June 7.
Over 90,000 Prince Edward Island residents will see a top-up in their bank accounts to help alleviate the pressure of record inflation rates affecting the cost of living in the province.
One person has died and four others — including three children — have been taken to hospital following a head on collision in the Township of Blandford-Blenheim, Ont. Monday afternoon.
A former employee at the Rexall Pharmacy on Bancroft Drive in Sudbury pleaded guilty Monday to writing fake fentanyl prescriptions worth more than $1.5 million.
Cannabis shops cropped up quickly across Waterloo region, but it seems some are now closing shop shortly after they arrived. At least one expert says the shift could point to signs of saturation as the heavily competitive fight for cannabis sales takes its toll.
A Puslinch, Ont. woman says her driveway will need to be repaved less than month after she came home to find strangers working on it without her prior consent.
Road crews in B.C. found and rescued a Western Rattlesnake on Highway 8 on May 16, 2022. (Credit: Twitter/TranBC)
