There’s a Rattlesnake Alert for Sunland Park, NM!!

The Fire Department has issued a warning about freaking RATTLESNAKES in Sunland Park, New Mexico!

In a Facebook post, the SPFD says they have “responded to several calls for rattlesnakes” in recent days.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Wait…are you SUPPOSED to call the fire department about rattlesnakes?? I’ve never really thought about that before. I would have thought maybe Fish and Wildlife. How about Code Compliance? At least they have experience wrangling dogs (Code Compliance is the modern term for “dog catcher”).

I knew firemen were also EMTs and, of course, dousers of fires. But, rattlesnakes?? What are they going to do? Blast the snake with a high-pressure hose. Do they TELL them this at the fireman academy? I can see a rookie fireman finding out he’s got to slide down the pole, get in the truck, load the Dalmatian and go deal with a freaking rattlesnake: “Uh, chief…I did NOT sign up for THIS”.

KFOX news reports that Sunland Park Fire Chief Daniel Medrano said it isn’t at all unusual to see rattlers this time of year. “When it’s warm outside they look for someplace cool”, Chief Medrano said. “When it’s cool outside they look for someplace warmer”.  That might be wood piles or overgrown weeds. Medrano says you want to get rid of that kind of stuff so snakes won’t be tempted to take up residence.

Several Sunland Parkians shared pictures of their unwanted serpentine “guests”:

One response suggested that the city of Sunland Park should take it upon itself to clean up some of the weeds and overgrown grass.

To be clear, the rattlesnakes were being reported in Sunland Park, New Mexico. NOT Sunland Park MALL.  The mall doesn’t have a snake problem…but, a colony of raccoons has infested the area that used to be Forever 21. Or, so I’ve heard.