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Health secretary removes snakes from colleague's patio
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sparked online attention after a video showed him picking up two live snakes with his bare hands at a Florida beach house owned by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a senior official in his department.
The incident
In a clip posted Tuesday, Kennedy approaches a pair of black racers-non-venomous snakes common in the southeastern U.S.-slithering near Oz's patio. Wearing trousers, a shirt, and socks but no shoes, he crouches and grasps the snakes, holding them up for the camera despite their attempts to bite him.
A woman off-camera, later identified by Kennedy as his wife, actress Cheryl Hines, can be heard asking, "Why?" Another voice, presumably Hines', says, "Bobby, please."
"Cheryl cheerleads the removal of a pair of Black Racers from Dr. Oz's patio," Kennedy wrote in the caption.
Wildlife officials warn against handling snakes
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently advised residents to avoid interacting with snakes, which become more active in spring. While black racers pose no venomous threat, the agency cautioned that even non-venomous species can deliver painful bites.
"Give snakes a wide berth and admire them from a distance. Resist the urge to pick it up-even our nonvenomous snakes can give a solid bite," the commission said in a Facebook post.
Kennedy's history of unconventional animal encounters
This is not the first time Kennedy has drawn attention for hands-on interactions with wildlife. In April, Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) questioned him during a congressional hearing about reports that he had severed the penis of a road-killed raccoon for later study.
Kennedy also faced criticism two years ago after claiming he decapitated a beached whale with a chainsaw to transport it on the roof of his vehicle. Environmental groups condemned the act as unnecessary and potentially hazardous.
Oz's role in the health department
Dr. Mehmet Oz, who hosted the gathering where the snake incident occurred, leads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), an agency under Kennedy's oversight at the Department of Health and Human Services.
