Nature Center Hit Again--Two Rattlesnakes Stolen

Missing: two poisonous 4-foot-long Pacific rattlesnakes, last seen sleeping peacefully in their terrarium at the San Dimas Canyon Park Nature Center.

Sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, the critters were rudely awakened by vandals who broke into the snake house, pried open the display case and made off with the terrarium. Nothing else was taken, authorities said.

It was the latest in a rash of nature center thefts involving endangered--and in some case dangerous--animals. The thefts have left law enforcement authorities and center operators perplexed.

Three months ago, thieves made off with three baby rattlesnakes. In May, it was two desert tortoises. And on Monday, nature center workers discovered that someone sneaked off with the snakes.

“These snakes didn’t sneak out by themselves; they had help,” says Sgt. Bill Borngrebe of the San Dimas station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

So far, authorities have no leads. Neither do they know whether the thefts are related. But the case of the missing species has landed on the desk of Detective David Bobier, who confesses that snakes spook him.

“We sure would like to get them back where they belong,” Bobier says. He adds that they probably aren’t worth a lot, except in novelty value to someone who collects snakes.

Meanwhile, the nature center staff is securing its grounds to protect the rest of the menagerie, which includes a coyote, bobcat, arctic fox, rabbits, owls, red-tailed hawks and other snakes.