As California faces what specialists describe as an unusually severe surge in rattlesnake encounters and deaths, a preschooler in the Santa Clarita Valley may have helped avert another dangerous incident after spotting a venomous snake inside playground equipment.
The incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. Thursday at a preschool in Santa Clarita’s Saugus neighborhood. According to local rattlesnake wrangler Cary Quashen, the child saw a rattlesnake inside a playhouse and quickly told a teacher.
Staff at the school then called Quashen, who arrived and safely removed the snake before anyone was hurt.
Footage shared by Quashen shows the rattlesnake curled up near the play structure as he carefully secures it with specialized tools.
“Thank God it all worked out fine,” Quashen said in a social media post shared alongside the video.
Quashen, who runs a rattlesnake removal service and dog-training program in Santa Clarita, said he was brought in to make sure the area was secure and confirm that no children had been bitten.
He later relocated the snake away from the school.
No injuries were reported.
However, the incident comes amid an alarming year for rattlesnake encounters in California.
During the first three months of 2026, the state recorded 77 rattlesnake-related calls and three confirmed deaths, a dramatic increase over California’s typical annual average of zero to one fatality.
Medical directors and herpetologists with the California Poison Control System have described the 2026 figures as “highly unusual and deeply concerning.”
Experts say the early-year numbers are exceptionally high and historically unprecedented for the state.
Quashen has become known as the unofficial “snake wrangler of Santa Clarita” after years of sharing videos documenting rattlesnake removals throughout the area.
Anyone who encounters a rattlesnake should keep a safe distance, avoid any attempt to handle the animal, and contact trained wildlife professionals if removal is necessary.
