Wildlife documentarian energy met reality when U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr. decided to channel his inner Steve Irwin during a visit to Dr. Oz’s house this week—except things didn’t go quite as smoothly as a nature special.
In a video posted Tuesday, RFK Jr. spotted two black snakes that were, shall we say, in the middle of some intimate business. Undeterred, he waded in bare-handed and snatched them up, one in each fist, pinning them by the tail. Someone off-camera helpfully pointed out the awkward timing: They’re having sex. RFK Jr. laughed it off and kept his grip firm, which is when the snakes—apparently not interested in his intervention—started striking back. The reptiles attempted to bite repeatedly, and it looks like they actually landed a few nibbles.
Not everyone thought this was entertaining. Cheryl Hines, also present at the scene, pleaded with RFK Jr. to let the snakes go. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as he continued to handle the increasingly agitated pair. The whole moment speaks to a pattern that’s become familiar to anyone following RFK Jr. lately: an unbridled enthusiasm for hands-on wildlife handling that doesn’t always end gracefully. (This follows an earlier incident involving a raccoon that drew plenty of attention.)
What makes this particularly notable isn’t just the recklessness—it’s that this is the nation’s top health official, casually playing zookeeper without much apparent concern for the snakes, himself, or the optics. The video lands at a moment when RFK Jr. is already drawing scrutiny from multiple angles, so adding“got bitten by snakes he was harassing during mating season”to the news cycle probably wasn’t the strategic move his team was hoping for.
Whether this was a genuine wildlife moment or just another example of doing exactly what you shouldn’t on camera, one thing’s clear: those snakes had better things to do.
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
