State replenishing snake population

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - There are poisonous snakes in the woods on Mt. Tom and a 22News I-Team investigation found out that the state is replenishing and protecting the population there.

This after a man was bitten by a poisonous copperhead this weekend.

Mt. Tom is a hot spot for hikers, and as it turns out there are dangerous snakes too.

Both the venomous Copperhead and Timber rattlesnake are native to Massachusetts.

A man was bit by one this weekend even thought experts say attacks are rare.

"They don't want to be around humans so its partly why it's so rare, besides the fact that they're endangered," said Robert Benard, associate professor of biology at American International College.

The 22News I-Team dug even deeper into the issue of snakes on Mt. Tom and discovered Natural Heritage, the state's environmental group that protects endangered species, put the venomous snakes there themselves.

It's a program called "headstarting."

The way the program works is they'll take the snakes off the mountain when they're first born or before birth, then raise them until they're strong enough to survive the wild. Then, they'll put them back on Mt. Tom.

Holyoke Gas and Electric recently built a communications tower on the mountain.

In order to obtain a permit to clear and build on the land, they had to pay $50,000 to protect the snake population.

Natural Heritage's Tom French told the I-Team it's standard practice to protect a species in peril.

But just a few days after a hiker was bitten by a venomous snake, not all residents think the state should be pouring so many resources into a dangerous species.

"Birds and stuff like that I believe in protecting but a snake that can kill you, I don't believe in protecting that," said James Leary, Holyoke.

French says they also put microchips in the snakes to keep track and identify them.

He's interested in obtaining the snake's body to investigate the circumstances of the bite over the weekend.