I was walking down a busy city street the other day, scrolling through my phone, half-aware of the world around me until something odd caught my eye. In the middle of the concrete path lay a small, crushed grass snake. It was lifeless, half-flattened, its greenish body twisted in a way that made my stomach turn. People walked past it without so much as a glance. Cars sped by, unaware of what had just been run over.

And yet, I couldn’t look away. The image stayed with me long after I walked on. It wasn’t just the snake it was what it represented. This wasn’t an isolated event. Over the past few weeks, local residents have been sharing photos and stories online of unexpected snake encounters in backyards, slithering across patios, near apartment doorways, even inside homes through balcony gaps and vents.

The sightings are becoming more frequent, and they’re happening in places you’d never expect. Experts are weighing in, and the consensus is worrying: climate change and urban expansion are pushing wildlife further into our cities. As green spaces shrink, animals are forced to adapt or die.

The rise in snake sightings, particularly of grass snakes, is just one more sign of a natural world out of balance. Grass snakes, while not venomous or aggressive, still spark fear in many people. Their sudden appearance in such urban settings is unsettling, and it signals something larger. Nature is knocking at our door sometimes literally.