A reported rattlesnake sighting in Bermuda triggered an unusually expensive search effort, with nearly $67,000 in public spending tied to one suspected snake and a separate fire ant response.
Officials say that money has not produced any physical evidence of the snake.
Here's what to know
According to Jaché Adams, Bermuda's Minister of Public Works and Environment, roughly $50,000 has been spent in response to a June 26 report of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake in Southampton. Including the most recent fire ant specialist visit, which cost about $16,800, the combined total reaches nearly $67,000, according to The Royal Gazette.
Roughly a mile of terrain was searched over 10 days after owners Robert Nozika and Sara Boese of the U.S.-based National Canine Facility arrived on July 16 with Labrador retrievers K9 Yak and K9 Q. The effort also included staff from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, and other island groups.
"A large chunk of [the $50,000] was focused on the dogs and the logistics of the handlers and the flights," Adams said. "Most of the searching time, particularly with the dogs, happened at dusk and dawn, it was believed that those were the hours that the snake would be most mobile and thus easier to be detected."
The ministry said the search uncovered no snake scent and no physical traces.
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More background
While the Bermuda Police Service said its investigation into the report was at a "delicate stage," Adams said the sighting "warranted a comprehensive response."
The spending also comes as Bermuda faces a more clearly documented threat: red imported fire ants. The invasive ants were found in Hamilton Parish in November and then at Hamilton's commercial docks in December. A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Works and Environment said the latest consultant visit was part of continuing technical and specialist support delivered through the UK Overseas Territories network.
These ants can cause significant environmental damage, and their stings can remain painful for days.
What's being done?
The government brought in outside snake-detection specialists, coordinated multiple agencies, and continued technical support for its fire ant response.
The ministry also noted that, as reported by The Royal Gazette, the Bermuda government did not pay for two earlier two-week fire ant consultant visits; the British-based organization Fera Sciences Ltd. covered those.
The Southampton report remains under investigation, and Adams indicated the government is continuing to take it seriously. "I would consider that we are in a state where all options are being considered and strongly being investigated at this point."
Where can I learn more?
Snake scares and invasive-species responses have played out in other islands and regions, too. These stories look at cases in Guam, the Balearic Islands, Florida, and Australia.
• In Guam, employees vital to island safety faced eviction from a key snake-prevention facility.
• Across the Balearic Islands, horseshoe snakes are spreading and putting native wildlife under mounting pressure.
• In Florida, scientists uncovered critical new data that could sharpen Burmese python eradication efforts.
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