A garter snake den in Manitoba, Canada's Interlake region, is becoming the site of a recurring wildlife tragedy. Residents and advocates say off-road vehicles are crushing snakes during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives: spring emergence and mating.
At the den near Gimli, where potentially thousands of snakes gather each year, locals say animals — including snakes tangled together in seasonal "mating balls" — are being run over on trails that cut along both the top and bottom of the site.
According to CBC, an online petition with more than 600 names urges the Rural Municipality of Gimli's mayor and council to permit a permanent barricade around the snake den on industrial land owned by the municipality.
Residents and wildlife advocates say the slope containing the den is surrounded by trails frequently used by all-terrain vehicles, utility-terrain vehicles, and dirt bikes. Tammy Skogan, a resident of the Rural Municipality of Armstrong who has visited the site for years, said she has repeatedly seen dead snakes along the trail.
"It's very obvious that most of them are run over," she told CBC, adding that others appear to have been stepped on.
Skogan said makeshift protections are often removed almost immediately, and even a temporary barrier installed this spring by conservation officers was reportedly cut down within days.
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The den becomes active in spring, when many garter snakes surface to breed, spend the warmer months elsewhere, and return in the fall to hibernate. Roberta Olenick, a zoologist and wildlife photographer who started the petition, said she visited the site in 2022 and found dozens of snakes with catastrophic injuries, including smashed heads.
Olenick said the Gimli den is especially vulnerable because of its layout. As CBC noted, unlike Manitoba's better-known Narcisse snake dens, which are deeper and harder to access, this site lies on a slope where riders may crest a hill and reach the snakes with little warning.
In a statement, Gimli officials said no final decision has been made, but that the municipality is planning an on-site visit with a snake biologist to explore "practical, low-impact measures" that could protect the snakes while balancing public access.
It is crucial that a decision is made soon, however, as snake dens like this are critical habitats, and repeated disturbance during emergence and mating can wipe out animals at one of the most fragile points in their life cycle.
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Garter snakes play an important role in local ecosystems, helping control pest populations while also serving as prey for other wildlife. When a den is repeatedly damaged, the effects can spread beyond one hillside.
For now, the strongest push is local.
According to CBC, Olenick has proposed a permanent barrier using tall wooden posts arranged to let pedestrians pass while blocking vehicles. She said that the design would avoid wire or mesh that could entangle animals and would be less disruptive than heavier construction.
The broader lesson is that protecting wildlife often does not require reinventing the wheel. It requires communities to decide that a vulnerable species is worth safeguarding before more damage is done.
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