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 a video of himself handling two live snakes barehanded at Dr Mehmet Oz's Florida beach house patio. Wildlife officials caution against such actions, as even non-venomous snakes can bite.
- RFK Jr posted a video of himself removing Black Racers from Dr Oz’s patio
- The snakes are non-venomous but bit Kennedy multiple times during the encounter
- Wildlife experts warn people to avoid handling snakes due to potential bites
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. Fox News reports that 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."
This incident is just one in a series of unusual animal encounters involving RFK Jr. According to The Guardian, Kennedy has previously admitted to dumping a bear carcass in New York's Central Park and allegedly cutting off a road-killed raccoon's penis for study. There are also claims that he once decapitated a dead beached whale with a chainsaw.
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