Does the DNR release venomous snakes, such as rattlesnakes, into the wild?
The Department of Natural Resources supports the biological diversity of wildlife in Indiana. Species, such as the timber rattlesnake, are rare and endangered in Indiana, so the DNR conducts studies on these snakes. To study these snakes, DNR biologists and university researchers collect the snakes from their environment, tag them and release them back into the same place that the snakes were collected. No new snakes are ever returned to these environments. The DNR is not stocking any new venomous snakes, such as rattlesnakes, into any new areas in the wild. If the DNR ever considered releasing a species such as the rattlesnake into the wild, the agency would first gain plenty of public input before proceeding.
