Yesterday, I was walking through the city, eyes glued to my phone, barely aware of my surroundings. But then something odd on the sidewalk caught my eye — what looked like a crumpled rag or maybe a piece of old tubing.

I almost kept walking. But something made me stop.

As I stepped closer, my heart sank. It wasn’t trash. It was a small grass snake — crushed, lifeless, and unnoticed by everyone passing by.

That moment stayed with me. Not because the snake was dangerous — grass snakes aren’t. But because it felt like a symbol of something bigger.

Lately, more and more people have reported snakes showing up in strange places: balconies, gardens, even inside homes. It’s not random. Experts are warning that climate change and rapid urban development are forcing wildlife into unfamiliar, often hostile, environments.

What I dismissed at first glance ended up shifting my perspective. That snake wasn’t just a casualty of city life — it was a quiet reminder: nature is being pushed out, and now, it’s pushing back.