A surprising video captured the encounter between a dog and a snake in a backyard. The hero of the day was Bruce Ireland, a snake hunter and local celebrity in the San Diego region of the United States.
Bruce posted the video on his TikTok, showcasing the unusual playfulness between the dog and a non-venomous gopher snake. The owner of the dog called upon the snake hunter to ensure the safety of both animals, and fortunately, everything turned out well.
Ireland told Newsweek that he arrived at the scene when the snake had its mouth wrapped around
the dog’s mouth, with the rest of its body coiled around the dog’s face.
The video was posted on August 2nd and has garnered over 3.3 million views and around 268,000 likes on TikTok. However, the incident actually took place in April.
In the caption, the American snake hunter described the situation: “Whenever I’m called, it’s always for something interesting, and this was a classic. The dog and the snake are safe, as many people were surprised by the puppy’s predicament.”
Viewers were surprised by the video. There were many comments joking about the situation. One internet user said, “If it’s not a rope, then why does it look like a rope?” referring to the hypothetical thoughts of the dog. Another comment read, “The snake must have been thinking, ‘Am… am I dead?’”
The incident was a combination of luck and experience, as Bruce states on his website that his snake services are professional, even though they are free. Currently, the group of snake hunters is available in all coastal areas of northern San Diego for the relocation of these unwanted animals.
The snake hunter works in a small group of volunteers who have taken on the mission of relocating these types of animals. The idea is to place them in remote locations where they can live safely and soundly.
He explained what might have gone wrong in the encounter between the dog and the snake, saying, “When a dog is investigating something, it uses its nose. That’s what it does: it puts its nose on something that smells strange, looks strange, sounds strange. Whereas cats, no. The first thing cats do is give you a paw and jump back.”
