Deer seen savagely eating snake its not as shocking as you think

Publish date: 2024-06-17

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The hunter became the hunted.

Thought the idea of a snake eating a whole deer was wild? This week, a hangry deer turned the tables on the scaly predators by devouring a whole serpent by the side of the road in Texas, as seen in a seemingly diet-defying video that’s gone viral on social media, including 17.7 million views on Twitter.

In the 22-second macabre clip, first shared two days ago on Instagram by self-proclaimed outdoor enthusiast Trey Reinhart, a deer can be seen nonchalantly munching by the side of the road.

As the camera zooms closer to the object hanging from the deer’s mouth, it becomes clear that the grazing beast is chomping down a snake like it’s a serpentine sausage.

Bambi chows down on the snake. ViralHog

“Are you eating a snake?” the incredulous cameraman says over the footage which is on hair-raising par with fictional fare from a Syfy horror flick.

This apparent predator-prey role reversal sent eyes popping with one viewer on Instagram writing, “What the what?”

Quipped a Twitter user, “This one is not vegan.”

Another deemed it revenge for all the times that Burmese pythons have made a meal out of deer, as the invasive species has been known to do in Florida.

Deer have been known to supplement their diets with meat and bones on occasion, according to an expert. ViralHog

While this behavior may seem bizarre, this primarily herbivorous animal may “jump off the wagon” on occasion.

“Deer have been known to eat animals,” National Deer Association’s Director of Conservation Matt Ross tells Outdoor Life. “There’s research out there showing that a very small percent of some deer diet could be songbirds or eggs … not at a population level but an individual deer or small groups of deer.”

In the past, Bambi has been filmed chowing on everything from baby chicks to carrion and human bones like a horned Hannibal Lecter.

The reason for these carnivorous forays is yet unclear; however researchers claim that they may eat these unorthodox protein supplements to fuel growth spurts, maintain their antlers, or even to safeguard themselves against lean times and habitat change, LiveScience reported.

Deer have been captured on video eating human bones. ViralHog

However, Ross suspects that in this “super rare” instance, the doe just liked the taste.

“I don’t think the deer was eating because it was hungry,” he said. “It was probably just chewing on that thing because it didn’t know any better, and the snake probably tasted different and good.”

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