The US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, has shared a video on social media showing himself wrestling with two snakes in Florida. This is the latest incident in a long list of unusual animal encounters for the politician. In the 49-second video, Mr Kennedy is seen wearing a shirt and tie while grabbing two southern black racer snakes with his bare hands.
The footage appears to have been filmed on the patio of a waterfront mansion in Palm Beach belonging to Mehmet Oz, the celebrity doctor who leads the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. During the clip, Mr Kennedy's wife, Cheryl Hines, tells him to be careful.
Watch the video here:
As Mr Kennedy holds both snakes in his right hand, one of them suddenly rears up and bites his left hand, causing him to flinch in pain. A woman in the background is then heard telling him that he is nuts.
Southern black racers are the most common type of snake found in Florida. They are fast and agile but are non-venomous and completely harmless to humans. It is not clear exactly when the video was filmed or what happened to the reptiles afterwards.
Mr Kennedy has a history of strange stories involving wild animals. He previously admitted to leaving the body of a dead bear cub in New York's Central Park. A recent biography also revealed that he once cut a part off a dead raccoon he found on a motorway.
The US Department of Health and Human Services has not commented on the video. However, a source close to Mr Kennedy confirmed that he is doing just fine after the bite.
