School resource officers with Montgomery County Schools discovered a timberland rattlesnake at the high school Wednesday, according to the individual who removed it.
Zack Tyra, an experienced reptile handler, told the Advocate he was contacted by resource officer Duane Kidd at 3:15 p.m. after one of the officers found it crossing a walkway between the main entrance and The Barn.
Tyra is also a deputy jailer at the Montgomery County Regional Jail and maintenance employee with Mt. Sterling Parks and Recreation.
Tyra said resource officers then isolated the 2 1/2 to 3 foot juvenile snake into a bush to prevent it from gaining access to students or staff.
Tyra said Kidd contacted him because Kidd knew he was familiar with reptiles and was used to handling them.
"It's very uncommon to find one in a populated area like that," Tyra said.
He said rattlesnakes tend to like wooded, hilly areas where they can blend into their surroundings.
Tyra removed the snake and took it to a farm in the county, where he released it.
Tyra said the resident, who raises corn, welcomed the snake because rats congregate in corn and are known to contaminate the crop.
"A lot of people say kill them, but they control rodents," he said, calling them a valuable part of the ecosystem.
He said for that reason he didn't want to see the snake harmed.
Tyra said the venom from timberland rattlers can potentially be deadly, especially if you don't recognize you've been bitten or what bit you and receive treatment.
If you don't know what bit you, it's hard for staff at a hospital to treat you with the proper anti-venom, he added.
With temperatures beginning to cool off, Tyra speculated that the snake may have been seeking out a warm environment. He cautions the public to be aware of their surroundings.
Tyra grew up in the Red River Gorge area of Wolfe County and has always enjoyed reptiles.
"I would take them home and get in trouble for it," he recalls.
The Advocate has requested a statement from the school system, but had not received a response at the time of this post.
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