New giant rattlesnake sculpture guards over Samalayuca desert

Daniel Borunda, El Paso Times
·1 min read

A majestic giant rattlesnake reigns over the desert in a new sculpture unveiled over the weekend at a recreational complex under development in Samalayuca, south of Juárez.

Juárez Mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar took part in Saturday's inauguration of the sculpture titled “Guardián del Territorio" (Guardian of the Territory) at the Desert Ranch development by Grupo Befued.

Colombian artist and sculptor Dick Rivas Rincón indicated that the gigantic serpent looms over as the queen of the desert lands of Samalayuca, a Juárez city news release stated.

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A 21-foot tall rattlesnake sculpture titled “Guardián del Territorio" (Guardian of the Territory) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Desert Ranch development in Samalayuca, south of Juárez, Mexico.
A 21-foot tall rattlesnake sculpture titled “Guardián del Territorio" (Guardian of the Territory) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Desert Ranch development in Samalayuca, south of Juárez, Mexico.

The giant snake is coiled around a peace pipe – representative of the ancestors of the people of this desert region – in the sculpture, which is about 21-feet tall and weighs about 10 tons, officials said. The development is in front of the petroglyph mountain.

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The desert development by Grupo Befued has planned several amenities, including off-road vehicle rentals, a waterslide and modern rooms for "glamping" in the Chihuahuan Desert in addition to electrical and water services.

Samalayuca is best known for its dramatic sand dune fields, which were movie locations in the filming of the 1984-version of "Dune" and Arnold Schwarzenegger's "Conan the Destroyer," released that same year.

A 21-foot tall rattlesnake sculpture titled “Guardián del Territorio" (Guardian of the Territory) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Desert Ranch development by Grupo Befeud in Samalayuca, south of Juárez, Mexico.
A 21-foot tall rattlesnake sculpture titled “Guardián del Territorio" (Guardian of the Territory) was inaugurated on Saturday at the Desert Ranch development by Grupo Befeud in Samalayuca, south of Juárez, Mexico.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: New giant rattlesnake sculpture guards over Mexican desert