Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a video on Tuesday of himself removing two live black North American racer snakes barehanded from Dr Mehmet Oz's Florida beach house patio, according to multiple reports. The clip shows Kennedy crouching down and grabbing the writhing reptiles by their tails while his wife Cheryl Hines expresses concern in the background.
Key Takeaways
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted videos of himself handling live snakes barehanded from Dr. Mehmet Oz's Florida beach house patio and later responding to critics with a video of wrangling a venomous rattlesnake.
- RFK Jr removed two nonvenomous black racer snakes from Dr. Oz's patio
- Kennedy posted a follow-up video handling a venomous Western Diamondback rattlesnake
- Black racers are nonvenomous but will bite if handled, per the National Park Service
- Florida Fish and Wildlife warned of increased snake activity in spring
The video posted on X captures Kennedy holding up the snakes for the camera as they repeatedly bite him. According to BBC News, he captioned the post: "Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz's patio." The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently warned people to stay away from snakes as they become more active in spring.
The non-venomous black racers are considered harmless to humans but will bite if handled, according to the National Park Service. Throughout the roughly 50-second video, Kennedy appeared unfazed by the bites and even smiled while displaying the snakes. The Florida Museum of Natural History states that "virtually all bites occur when the snakes are intentionally molested."
In response to criticism over his handling of nonvenomous snakes, RFK Jr shared another video on Wednesday showing him wrangling a venomous Western Diamondback rattlesnake. According to Fox News, Kennedy posted this clip on Instagram with the caption: "In response to the many comments about venomous snakes, this video shows how Cheryl and I handled a recent rattlesnake rescue." The footage begins in his home office before he grabs a bucket and net to capture the snake outside.
The new video shows Kennedy carefully scooping up the rattlesnake with a net, placing it in a bucket, then pinning it behind the head to display its distinctive markings. He explains how to identify the species while cautioning about its fangs before releasing it into the wild using a pillowcase. This incident follows a series of unusual animal encounters involving RFK Jr., including admitting to dumping a bear carcass in Central Park and allegedly studying road-killed raccoon anatomy.
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