Gary, my friend,
I realize how difficult it is to overcome the fear and disgust of snakes that have been instilled in people for centuries!
However, this is a gray water snake - a completely harmless, defenseless and scary animal that feeds mostly on fish (3-4 fish in a whole week - up to 100-150 grams). Its teeth are small, like those of a mackerel (the pike's are much larger!), it DOES NOT bite and is NOT poisonous. Unfortunately, (probably because of its appearance) in our country this animal is mercilessly tormented by all sorts of ignorant old-timers. They do not bother to read, to understand that it has nothing to do with poisonous snakes (cinderella and viper) and is even a subject of nature protection - it is listed in Appendix No. 2 of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of Wild Flora and Fauna. Bulgaria has signed this convention, so those who kill water snakes should be responsible for this... And the fact that specialized bodies still do not exercise control is, let's hope, a temporary phenomenon...
Don't kill the water snakes, colleagues!
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