each spring the western diamondback
rattlesnake ends its hibernation and
begins the hunt for a mate and in
Sweetwater Texas the hunt begins for the
rattlesnakes it’s the town’s biggest
event and probably the world’s largest
rattlesnake roundup Laverne Stephens has
been rounding up snakes for more than 30
years you got boots on yeah okay that’s
good
just walk easy if you say something
stand still and don’t make no sudden
moves all right all right let’s go for
him snake hunting isn’t just a tradition
at five dollars a pound it’s a lucrative
though risky undertaking
in spite of the Diamondbacks reputation
as a dangerous predator they only seem
to strike when they’re provoked
nevertheless most locals want them
removed every spring nearly 20,000
snakes are brought to this local
Coliseum after the snakes are milked for
their venom fair skinned gutted and
deep-fried for the annual cook-off the
snake milkers claim they are collecting
the venom for anti-venom serum and to
aid scientists seeking a cure for cancer
and heart disease but others like
herpetologist Carl Franklin say the
venom collected at the roundups is not
collected in a sterile environment and
therefore is worthless I think it’s just
a useless pacifier to give to the masses
to say okay this justifies our killing
and treating this animal like it’s some
type of of nasty creature but once again
they just have to make a buck but most
just want the thrill of coming
face-to-face with America’s most
impressive pit viper and they ask me if
I’m scared oh yes ma’am I’m scared
I’ve always been scared oh I respect you
if you’re not scared of them
then you’re gonna get hurt if the
adrenaline pump for you it really gets
that girl I get I’d go home at night and
I’ll go straight over eating all green
tonight
while their numbers are still abundant
many fear that if the round ups continue
the western diamondback rattlesnake may
end up on the endangered species list
rattlesnake ends its hibernation and
begins the hunt for a mate and in
Sweetwater Texas the hunt begins for the
rattlesnakes it’s the town’s biggest
event and probably the world’s largest
rattlesnake roundup Laverne Stephens has
been rounding up snakes for more than 30
years you got boots on yeah okay that’s
good
just walk easy if you say something
stand still and don’t make no sudden
moves all right all right let’s go for
him snake hunting isn’t just a tradition
at five dollars a pound it’s a lucrative
though risky undertaking
in spite of the Diamondbacks reputation
as a dangerous predator they only seem
to strike when they’re provoked
nevertheless most locals want them
removed every spring nearly 20,000
snakes are brought to this local
Coliseum after the snakes are milked for
their venom fair skinned gutted and
deep-fried for the annual cook-off the
snake milkers claim they are collecting
the venom for anti-venom serum and to
aid scientists seeking a cure for cancer
and heart disease but others like
herpetologist Carl Franklin say the
venom collected at the roundups is not
collected in a sterile environment and
therefore is worthless I think it’s just
a useless pacifier to give to the masses
to say okay this justifies our killing
and treating this animal like it’s some
type of of nasty creature but once again
they just have to make a buck but most
just want the thrill of coming
face-to-face with America’s most
impressive pit viper and they ask me if
I’m scared oh yes ma’am I’m scared
I’ve always been scared oh I respect you
if you’re not scared of them
then you’re gonna get hurt if the
adrenaline pump for you it really gets
that girl I get I’d go home at night and
I’ll go straight over eating all green
tonight
while their numbers are still abundant
many fear that if the round ups continue
the western diamondback rattlesnake may
end up on the endangered species list
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