How would you like a little snake with your garden walk? Or how about a huge snake? Or maybe 27 huge rattlesnakes?

That's what the visitors at Matthaei Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor, Michigan face with their daily dose of foliage. See, the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes is protected by state law so the park's benevolent overseers decided to populate the park with about 27 of the rattlers.

Despite the fact that the park posted warning signs about the bitey beasts slithering about the gardens, surprise, surprise: people are getting bitten. The last was a woman who apparently took off her shoes to walk in the lush grass.

Now I'm all for conservation, but this silliness begs the question: while the park's staff is protecting the snakes, who's protecting the humans? Turning a garden walk into terror-inducing episode of "Wild Kingdom" in which you're chased and bitten by wild animals doesn't seem like a good way to attract visitors. Unless they're rattler wranglers!

For now, keep your shoes on in the garden. I'll see you next week,
Bobby