‘Devastating to see’: Fish and Wildlife receive reports of youth killing snakes in Grande Prairie

Signage was put up to make residents aware of snakes in the area near Bear Creek in Grande Prairie, Alta. on Monday, April 28, 2025. Signs were erected after reports of youth killing snakes at their den. (Jesse Boily/Local Journalism Initiative)

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services has received two reports of youth harming garter snakes in Grande Prairie.

Reports on social media from residents have also outlined that youth are harming snakes at their hibernaculum — the underground area where they spend the winter.

“On April 21, there were three 13-year-old boys at the snake pit in south GP by the bike park/dog off-leash park; two of them were killing as many snakes as they could with sticks,” said Cindy Rideout.

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She said her children came to her after witnessing the boys killing the snakes near the Bear Creek outlook.

“The three boys told my kids not to tell anyone or call the cops; they knew what they were doing was wrong.”

She said she has recordings of the youth killing the snakes and believes they had been at the den killing snakes for over an hour.

“The boys were bragging about killing as many snakes as they could,” she said, noting one boy told her that his mom pays him to kill the snakes.

“I have the one boy recorded admitting to killing the snakes and saying he knows it was wrong and that it was the other boy’s idea.”

Rideout says she returned to the snake den the next day and found dead snakes and injured snakes around the area. She noted that they could only find about three live snakes without injuries, or that were fatally wounded.

“It’s devastating to see that anyone would condone this or think it was fun.”

She said days before she and her children visited the den, they saw about 30 garter snakes in the area.

Rideout says she contacted Fish and Wildlife on the day of the incident and then was told to report it to the Report a Poacher line, which she did.

Fish and Wildlife has made two visits to the site since receiving the reports and has placed signage to inform the public that all snakes and their dens are protected from killing, harm, possession and destruction under the Alberta Wildlife Act.

“Garter snakes are a protected species in Alberta and play an essential role in maintaining healthy ecosystems,” said Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Services in an email response to the News.

“Harming them or disturbing their habitat is not only damaging to wildlife — it is also against the law.”

It said that a further investigation may be pursued.

Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Town & Country News