Two hikers in Massachusetts captured incredible video of two entwined rattlesnakes engaged in a brutal fight.
Elementary school teacher Erin Noonan and her friend, Parker Elementary School teacher Susan Maloney, captured the wild footage during their weekly nature walk. “We have a little hiking club,” Noonan explained CBS exit WBZ News“We're chatting and walking, and there were two [male hikers] “They just stood back and were yelling at us.”
The group was stunned to see two rattlesnakes tangled up in the middle of their path, seemingly dancing. According to Mass Wildlife, the two snakes were actually fighting. It's incredibly rare for people to witness such a sighting, let alone capture it on camera. Noonan and Maloney plan to use the footage to educate their students about wildlife.
“They like to study snakes and frogs,” Noonan noted. “Why don't we do some study of snakes? Why don't we learn about them?”
Jesse Leddick, associate director of wildlife for the Department of Natural Heritage and Endangered Species, told the outlet that there are only five or six rattlesnake populations left in Massachusetts. “They've been here for thousands of years. There aren't many left,” he explained, adding that habitat loss, vehicle accidents and disease have all played a role in the state's rattlesnake population depletion.
Although they are now a protected species, “there were bounties on rattlesnakes in the late 1800s,” Leddick said.
Despite the brilliance of nature's majesty, Noonan and Maloney wanted to capture their image and quickly retreat. Noonan recalled asking his friend, “What if you get bitten? What are you supposed to do?”
If you are bitten by a rattlesnake, Leddick recommends calling 911 immediately and getting to the nearest hospital. Many hospitals, including several in Massachusetts, are equipped with anti-rattlesnake venom. As Leddick calls it, “an old wives' tale,” you shouldn't try to suck out the venom yourself.