Naturalist Leo Moncel informs park visitors about snakes, like the Foxsnake he's holding.

With 1,123 hectares of spectacular windswept rocky hectares on Northern Georgian Bay, Killbear Provincial Park is one of the most popular parks in Ontario. Last year, it attracted no less than 363,000 visitors to its seven campgrounds and day-use areas.

Come to Killbear -- about 240 km north of Toronto -- and before you realize it, you're likely to learn quite a lot about some of Ontario's most misunderstood species. I'm talking about snakes.

The park is home to 10 kinds of snakes. One is the Massasauga Rattlesnake, Ontario's only venomous reptile. He's no real danger to visitors. In its whole history, KIllbear Park has never had a visitor bitten by a Massasauga Rattler. In all of Ontario there were only five Massasauga bites reported last year. None of them were fatal.

On the other hand, visitors to Killbear Park are a distinct danger to rattlesnakes. Fourteen Massasaugas were killed by vehicles on park roads in 2005. The rattlesnake is listed as an endangered species. That's one of the reasons why the Killbear Park nine-person naturalist staff makes a special effort to educate visitors about snakes in general and Massasauga Rattlers in particular.

All through the park you'll see road signs telling you to "Please Brake For Snakes." Many snakes are killed trying to cross roads at night. In Ontario, it's a crime to intentionally kill one of these endangered species.

Every day, there are Snake Talks at the park's big newly opened visitor centre. Here you may actually meet a live rattler. He's on loan from the Toronto Zoo, lives in a triangular glass house, has dead mice for dinner every day and comes out from his inner bedroom to be viewed by visitors only if he feels like it.

When I was there, he didn't feel like it but I did get a look at the non-venomous Fox Snake who also lives at the visitor centre.

Acting-head of the naturalist interpretive program at KIllbear is Ruth Lindenburger. She has a B.Sc from Trent, a B.ed from Brock and a Fish and Wildlife diploma from Sir Sandford Fleming College.

Ruth led me through one of the centre's computerized snake-quiz programs, designed to correct misconceptions and provide facts. From it, I learned that the type of person most likely to be bitten by a rattlesnake is a teen or young male who has been drinking alcohol.

For information about the many daily and evening programs provided at the park, along with special musical events by visiting artists, or to reserve a campsite, call 1-888-668-7275 .

You can also log onto ontarioparks.com. The park office phone number is 705-342-5492. Superintendent is Pat Walsh.

To get there, take Hwy. 400 to Parry Sound, then follow Hwy. 69 about eight km north to Hwy. 559, near Nobel. Turn left (west) on Hwy. 559 for about 20 km to the park.

The only deaths at Killbear Provincial Park have been the endangered snakes that share the park with human visitors.