Off Topic - Stealing Snakes?

***Wildfire Girl*** · 10-05-2007, 05:14 PM

Okay ... I just HAD to share this story (I meant to back the week it happened but got busy). I work as an Educator at a Nature Center in Ft Smith ... not THIS one, but we only have four nature centers and the folks at this one are for sure friends and colleagues.

Anyhow, gist of the story: a man broke into the Jonesboro Nature Center, apparantly to STEAL a timber rattlesnake. Yeah. And got BIT after breaking the glass on the poor snake's cage. And was caught at the emergency room once the staff realized that the robber had been bitten ...

Would-Be Criminal in Jonesboro, AR Gets More Than He Bargained For! - Associated Content

Great Snake Robberie Takes a Dangerous Turn

Great Snake Robberie Takes a Dangerous Turn

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 - Posted at 10 p.m. CDT

JONESBORO, AR - A timber rattlesnake is one reptile you'd only want to touch with a ten foot pole.

But, one not-so-smooth criminal wanted to take a more "hands-on" approach.

Someone broke into the Crowley's Ridge Nature Centerl in south Jonesboro on Sunday night broke through a glass cage and tried to take a rattlesnake home with him.

You can probably guess what happened ... he got bit.

Sources say someone came into the St. Bernard's Medical Centerl's emergency room that same night with a snake bite.

But all that was left at the scene of the crime, was a trail of broken glass and a tiny bit of blood that police will use for DNA evidence.

"Well, of course we come in and we're expecting an easy day and it's like "oh man." It was just kind of obvious that they came in, did this and left, which is not a smart thing to do. You don't want to try to reach down in there and grab a snake," said Shaun Merrill of the Crowley's Ridge Nature Center.

According to the nature center, that snake wasn't a pygmy rattler but one of the larger, Timber rattlesnakes.

These snakes are found all around craighead county, which begs the question why go after such a dangerous creature when you could stumble across one in the woods? Is it really worth that much money?

"Maybe $300, but definitetly not worth it because he'll bite and he's a big snake," said Merrill.

**Lost in Translation** · 10-05-2007, 07:24 PM

I love dumb criminal stories.

**~+Yamiko** · 10-05-2007, 08:14 PM

I guess better worth something than nothing at all!

kait · 10-05-2007, 09:45 PM

Sounds like a story from Grey's Anatomy or those other doctor shows.

***Wildfire Girl*** · 10-06-2007, 06:06 AM

Ooooooo we could use that as inspiration, yes? I just wondered how crazy/high/desperate you'd have to be to break in to steal a freaking venoumouse snake.

-Kelly- · 10-06-2007, 07:08 AM

Eek

I hate snakes

***Yellow Mustang Girl*** · 10-06-2007, 06:39 PM

Sis I think this story is HILARIOUS!

And yes, this would make a great idea for Grey's Anatomy

***Yellow Mustang Girl*** · 01-02-2008, 07:59 PM

Did we ever find out what happened to the guy who was bit?

Love & Passion · 01-02-2008, 08:40 PM

Aw, I hope he was okay.

***Yellow Mustang Girl*** · 01-02-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Love & Passion (View Post)

Aw, I hope he was okay.

I hope he was okay, but I hope he was fined or something, too.... though I guess the whole bite thing was punishement enough

LittleMilkJug · 01-02-2008, 11:47 PM

Ouch, what an idiot

**SaraHoo!** · 01-03-2008, 05:42 AM

Hilarious!
Stealing a snake..

cls21c · 01-03-2008, 06:47 AM

What's the deal with stupid people who think they can just steal a snake from a zoo without being bitten? That's why zoos hire professionals to take care of these animals and still some of them are bitten.

**SaraHoo!** · 01-03-2008, 07:31 AM

^

So true
Maybe some.. snake freak?

What would he do with that snake? I'm curious

***Yellow Mustang Girl*** · 01-03-2008, 07:22 PM

It wasn't even stolen from a zoo, it's a nature center

And yeah, we couldn't figure out what he was going to do with the snake except maybe try to sell it?