The World’s Largest Rattlesnake Round-up
The world’s largest rattlesnake round-up © Dan Callister/Penguins & Sharks
What is billed as the world’s largest rattlesnake round-up is held annually in Sweetwater, Texas. The event is hosted by the Sweetwater Jaycees and features activities like snake hunts and a carnival. It began in the 1950s as a way to control the rattlesnake population by ranchers and has grown into a major tourist attraction bringing millions of dollars into the local economy. Scientist’s are concerned that the event is having a negative impact on the rattlesnake population and if the annual event can sustain the harvesting of so many snakes without their being a decline in population numbers, which will in turn affect the round-up held annually.
