There was a time when human beings had a pretty clear idea of who their friends and enemies were. Rattlesnakes were definitely in the latter category. Political figures like Ronald Reagan and Rick Perry earned credit by shooting them, as I recall–or at least being prepared to do so.

But that was then, and this is the bizarrely perverse now. In Massachusetts, government officials worry that they don’t have enough rattlesnakes:

Source: An Island of Rattlesnakes: What Could Go Wrong? | Power Line