Warnings of snake infestation were a 'malicious' bid to drive away park visitors
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The £200,000 Wyvis Natural Play Park, near Garve, was four years in the planning and the result of a determined local campaign to improve facilities for local children and visitors alike.
The mock-up images — widely seen and shared but since deleted — sparked widespread rumours that the well-received park boasting wooden equipment in a forest setting had been shut down due to a snake infestation.
This prompted an urgent Facebook message from Sharon Wright, a local mother who was a leading light in the campaign to put together a funding package for the recently opened facility.
The mother-of-three told Facebook followers: “Despite the malicious gossip and rumours we continue to see kids having fun in the great outdoors on a daily basis. Come and enjoy!”
Someone commented beneath the post: “What snakes? This is just an attempt to discredit the park”.
Another said: “Took the kids last week. They loved it. Brilliant park. Job well done.”
And another chipped in: “We quite often go there from Inverness. It’s a good excuse to get out of town and the kids love it, so win-win!”
It is not known who originally put up the images on Facebook.
A local resident, who did not want to be named, said: “The pictures of adders in the park were shared widely, then they disappeared.”
The Forestry Commission, which leases the land, looked into the claims and told the North Star: “After further investigation we can definitely say there have been no sightings of real adders.”
The spokesman said he understood all social media posts showing images of adders in the park had been deleted by the person who put them up “so are not traceable”.
The play area, built within natural forest and linked to the two-mile circular walk from Silverbridge to Little Garve, includes a large area of woodland where children can run, build dens or play hide and seek.
It was the brainchild of Loch Luichart Community Trust and funded by £200,000 of community benefit cash from renewables company ENECO.
As well as the play area and trails, the site includes a picnic area, complete with tables and benches and car parking at Little Garve and at Silverbridge.
The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain. It is not aggressive and will only use its venom as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. The Forestry Commission reports that with proper treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite. The advice states: “Most people who are bitten were handling the snake. Treat adders with respect and leave them alone.”
