On July 6 at approximately 3 a.m., New York State Environmental Police Officer Dustin Osborne responded to a complaint of a rattlesnake in a residence in Hancock. The caller reported he woke in the middle of the night to his dog barking in the living room. When he investigated, the resident spotted a 3.5-foot timber rattlesnake on the living room floor and called for help. Osborne captured the rattlesnake and released it back into the wild, away from homes. Although they are not seen very often, timber rattlesnakes are native to New York and are venomous. Timber rattlesnakes are generally found in small, localized areas, and are considered a threatened species protected by law.
