Tokyo has its cherry blossoms, the Netherlands has its tulip fields, and Paris offers itself. But the Canadian province of Manitoba has a remarkably distinct springtime attraction too: tens of thousands of amorous snakes writhing around in pits.
While Manitoba’s tourist agency doesn’t promote the Narcisse Snake Dens with the same zeal as it does Canada’s national human rights museum in Winnipeg, the annual mating ritual of red-sided garter snakes nevertheless manages to draw thousands of people — snake fanciers and snakephobes alike — to an otherwise overlooked part of the province for a few days each spring.
It’s an incredible sight, really, as an estimated 70,000 snakes slither around and mate for up to 10 days a year. 70,000 snakes all in one place may sound like a nightmare, but the truth is these snakes are harmless. In fact, a bite from one of them is more like a head butt rather than a tearing of flesh. Curious to know more about the snake dens in Manitoba? Look no further!
