&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "‘Snake oil salesman removing snakes’: RFK Jr shares video grabbing live snakes with bare hands, sparks backlash")
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is going viral on social media for picking up a pair of writhing, presumably mating snakes with his bare hands. Sharing a video, RFK Jr said that he was helping his colleague, Dr Mehmet Oz, in Florida, remove the reptiles from his beach house. The video has triggered a mix of amusement, disbelief and concern from people online.
"Why"
The clip, posted by Kennedy himself on social media Tuesday, shows him approaching two black racer snakes slithering across a patio before crouching down and grabbing them by hand, all while barefoot and smiling for the camera. "Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz’s patio," Kennedy wrote in the caption, referring to his wife, actress Cheryl Hines. In the background, a visibly nervous woman can be heard repeatedly saying, "Bobby, please," while another voice asks, "Why?"
At one point, the snakes appear to bite Kennedy as he lifts them toward the camera, though he continues grinning throughout the encounter. The video triggered a mixed reaction from netizens. “A snake oil salesman removing snakes. Oh, the irony,” said one, while another shared the tale of Hermes' caduceus and said, "He's recreating mythology ya'll relax". Watch the video here:
"Resist the urge to pick it up"
The reptiles involved appear to be black racers, a non-venomous snake species common in Florida. According to the US National Park Service, black racers are generally harmless to humans if left undisturbed. However, the viral moment is a quick reminder to people not to imitate the stunt.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently warned residents that snakes become more active during spring and should be observed from a safe distance. "Resist the urge to pick it up — even our nonvenomous snakes can give a solid bite," the agency said in a recent advisory.
Also read | MV Harbour Phoenix case: 10 Indian sailors to come home after 10 months in Iran detention
RFK Jr's troubled history with animals
The video is only the latest addition to Kennedy’s long history of unusual animal-related stories that have repeatedly generated headlines.
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Earlier this year, during a congressional hearing, Kennedy faced questions over reports claiming he once cut off the genitals of a dead raccoon for research purposes. He also came under fire in 2023 after environmental activists criticised his own account of using a chainsaw to decapitate a dead whale and transport part of it home on top of his vehicle.
