It’s may not be the luxury ride he’s accustomed to, but Enzo is finally getting a lift home.
Earlier this month, the hitchhiking Northern Pacific rattlesnake travelled to Metro Vancouver from the South Okanagan in a Ferrari, and was found by the surprised staff of a Ferrari dealership.
He spent more than a week at the Dewdney Animal Hospital in Maple Ridge, and on Sunday, began the long journey home to the Nk’Mip Desert in Osoyoos in the back of a Toyota Tacoma.
“Because he had a microchip we know the rock — to the bush — that he needs to be released to,” said Dr. Adrian Walton, owner and lead veterinarian at the Dewdney Animal Hospital.
“I get to spend eight hours with two kids who will hopefully be on their best behaviour for a road trip.
Enzo was recently microchipped as part of a rattlesnake research project at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. He came to Walton through the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, which brought him from the Ferrari dealership to his clinic.
The Dewdney Animal Hospital is the only facility in the province that has permits for “controlled alien species,” including illegal reptiles and amphibians, said Walton. Over the years, he has cared for diamondback rattlesnakes, Gaboon vipers, and other rare and poisonous creatures.
Enzo was in “fantastic shape” when he was found, Walton added, praising the “collection of luck” that brought him there safely and will facilitate his return. The microchip may save his life, he said.
Rattlesnakes live in desert environments, the veterinarian told Global News, and rely on a precise knowledge of their surroundings. They need to know where the dens are for escaping heat, where the food sources lie, and which bushes are available for keeping cool.
“You can’t just take rattlesnake and dump it anywhere in rattlesnake country. That’s a recipe for dying. Being able to take it back to the exact spot where it came from means that his chance of survival is so much higher.”
Enzo rode Sunday in a container equipped with heating pads to keep him warm. Walton and his family monitored his temperature using a meat thermometer, and had additional heating and cooling pads at the ready if needed.
At Osoyoos, he will be dropped off at a rattlesnake rescue facility and taken back to the desert he calls home.