Horse Patrol Snake Panic

IN THE GARDENS OF THE GABLES, ALL THAT SLITHERS SHOULD NOT BE SCARY

BY GRACE CARRICARTE

There are two things that reptiles cannot regulate: Their own body temperature and people’s perception of them. Granted, if I saw a nine-foot Burmese python in the bushes of my driveway, I would be as shocked as our Coral Gables neighbors off San Souci Drive were in mid-January.

You may have seen that monster on the evening news. Apparently, such sightings are common in Coconut Grove, where the invasive species has, well, invaded. Experts say it was in search of warmer real estate during the cold spells experienced earlier this year.

Less expected was the reaction by Gables residents, many of whom went on backyard hunts for lurking snakes, some literally taking machetes to even the most harmless garden varieties. Social media lit up with the fear that these were miniature pythons. After a slew of such comments, I posted that most snakes were good, and helped keep vermin under control, as well as insects, lizards and frogs.

“The snakes we find in our yards and gardens generally pose little threat to us,” says Jeffrey Fobb, captain of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, who has worked with the Venom Response Unit since 2006. “We only have four species of venomous snakes that occur statewide, and while they are found in South Florida, the older cities and suburbs are not places where their populations have persisted.”

Trying telling that to snake-fearing residents! The reaction to my post was one of pushback and disdain. One resident asked if I had children, because then I would be more concerned.

Fortunately, some understood. Ellen Berger on Greenway Drive, who had seen a few of these comments go by, said, “If you want to balance nature in your yard without harmful chemicals, you need prey and predators.” Too bad it had to be a snake that tempted Eve in the Old Testament. Go to livingalongsidewildlife.com for more info. ■

On two days a week – usually Fridays and Saturdays – if you are lucky, you may see something that disappeared from the Coral Gables Police Department in the 1920s: The city’s mounted patrol. The horse, a retired thoroughbred named Rockaway, is on patrol duty those days, usually in quieter residential areas, but sometimes downtown.

“We generally work until nine at night,” says Officer Ashley Sheran, a long-time horse rider who adopted Rockaway in 2015, around the time she became a dispatcher for the Coral Gables PD. After being sworn in as a patrol officer in 2018, she approached Chief Ed Hudak and pitched him on the idea of establishing a horse patrol.

A year later the program began, with Sheran and Rockaway appearing at special functions as on patrol. “He loves to work. That’s what these thoroughbreds were bred for,” says Sheran. “We go everywhere – even on Giralda and Galiano – though we might spend more time along the [Granada] golf course.” That is one place where Rockaway keeps his trailer, which is how he travels from his horse stable in SW Ranches.

While Officer Sheran (who rides patrol cars during her other shifts) is ready to go into crime fighting action with Rockaway if needed, much of the horse’s contribution is community engagement. “People will come to see the horse, and then have a conversation with the officer,” says CGPD Public Information Officer Kelly Denham. “It’s always a positive.” Rockaway also has regular fans. “He has learned that at 77 Sportbar [on Giralda Plaza], the owner comes out and gives him carrots. He likes to head that way every evening.” ■