RFK Jr. Posts Western Diamondback Rescue Video as Criticism Follows Earlier 2-Snake Handling
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 28
RFK Jr. Posts Western Diamondback Rescue Video as Criticism Follows Earlier 2-Snake Handling
8 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 28
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted an Instagram video Wednesday showing him capturing, bagging and releasing a venomous Western Diamondback rattlesnake after online criticism of his earlier snake-handling clip.
The video was framed as a response to comments about venomous snakes: Kennedy grabbed a bucket and net, pinned the rattlesnake behind the head, identified its fangs and markings, and released it into the wild.
That post followed Tuesday’s X video from Dr. Mehmet Oz’s patio, where Kennedy picked up 2 black racer snakes by their tails as they repeatedly bit his hands and Cheryl Hines urged him to stop.
Black racers are nonvenomous, but the new clip featured a venomous species, intensifying questions on social media about whether the HHS secretary was taking unnecessary risks.
Is handling a venomous snake on camera a public service or a dangerous stunt that encourages risky behavior?
When celebrity wildlife encounters go viral, what is the hidden impact on animal welfare and public safety?