Robert F. Kennedy Jr. isn’t afraid to handle a pair of unwanted visitors — yes, even if their snakes.
While visiting Dr. Mehmet Oz’s house in Florida over the Memorial Day weekend, Kennedy, 72, couldn’t resist wrangling two black — and apparently horny — snakes in front of his wife, Cheryl Hines.
“Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr Oz’s patio,” Kennedy wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, May 26, along with a video showing the dramatic retrieval.
The viral video showed the United States Health and Human Services Secretary grabbing the snakes without wearing any shoes. While Kennedy seemed perfectly calm while handling the situation, Hines, 60, couldn’t say the same.
“Moccasins! Those are dangerous!” Hines shouted when speculating about which snakes her husband found. “OK, honey, let them go. Bobby! Bobby, Bobby, please.”
Dr. Oz, 60, however, had a few more questions about what he was watching unfold in front of his eyes.
“Well, they were having sex,” he claimed. “So what are they?”
Kennedy replied, “They’re black snakes. No, they’re not moccasins.”
When Oz asked if the snakes were biting, Kennedy confirmed they were, before pointing out that “their mouths are huge!”
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, North American racers — also known as black racer or racer snakes — are long and slender snakes with large and prominent eyes. The creatures are non-venomous or dangerous to people or pets, but they will readily bite to defend themselves.
As for how they showed up in Dr. Oz’s backyard, North American racers are typically found throughout mainland Florida in every county, including the Florida Keys.
The video quickly grabbed the attention of followers who have an interest in snakes.
Florida wildlife enthusiast and conservationist Garrett Galvin called the video a “good yoink.” Internet personality Trent Parker — also known as “Mr. Fat Cheeto” — added, “Dude you are next level pal come join me on my boat in lake Tuscaloosa pal.”
This isn’t the first time Kennedy has made news for his unique connection to animals.
In an April biography titled RFK Jr: The Fall and Rise, author Isabel Vincent cited an alleged journal entry where Kennedy wrote about stopping his car on a New York highway in 2001 to cut the penis out of a dead raccoon.
“You have to understand, Bobby wanted to be a veterinarian as a kid,” Vincent shared with People in April. “His after-school job was at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., so he’s got a great love and interest in animals and a freezer full of roadkill, I’m sure, where he studies it.”
