Gran Canaria has been plagued by a variety of king snake which is decimating some of the island’s natural wild life.
The albino California king snake came to the island as pets. It seems that some were set loose or escaped decades ago. But more recently the population in the wild has exploded. Over the last eight years, more than 2,000 have been captured but thousands are believed to remain living underground.
They are not deemed a great risk to humans, but have a taste for birds, young rabbits and rodents. Highest fears, however, are for the Gran Canaria giant lizard, a species found only on the island, which could be pushed to extinction.
One of the communities most affected, La Solana, began spotting the snakes in the 1990s, but now report daily sightings. Residents have found the snakes inside their homes, on patios, in gardens and even inside of bird cages.
A four-year project, costing more than €1m, aims at reducing the snake population by 50%, although it is proving difficult to know exactly how many snakes are on the island as their natural habitat is underground.
Dogs and hawks are being trained to snare whatever snakes they can. Albino animals make easy prey, suggesting that there are few predators for the snakes on the island.
