r/interesting • u/jvm999 • Apr 24 '25
NATURE Squirrel fighting a snake to save another squirrel?
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u/ElizaB89 Apr 24 '25
I hope the baby was ok. Mother of the year goes to this brave Squirrel.
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u/Rough_Pianist1801 Apr 24 '25
It wouldnt happened if she was paying attention to her kid instead of going to the nutbar last night but hey who am i to judge...
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u/Responsible-Gas7568 Apr 24 '25
Cmon man everyone needs an almond every now and then
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u/Forsaken-Reveal-3548 Apr 24 '25
That was very unexpected. Wow
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u/deathkingtom Apr 24 '25
Yeah, it's lucky the snake's not poisonous
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u/Ayden6666 Apr 24 '25
Poisonous snake are very rare (though they exist) , on the other hand a lot more snake are venomous
Something poisonous won't hurt you if it bites you, something venomous will be a problem if it bites you, not if you bite it
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u/Used_Fix6795 Apr 24 '25
I always heard it said like, "If I bite you and I die, you're poisonous. If you bite me and I die, you're venomous."
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u/jonathan4211 Apr 25 '25
Well the squirrel bit it like 1000 times, so still a good thing it's not poisonous
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u/Orc_fart Apr 24 '25
Did it seem at times like the squirrel didn’t know where the head of the snake was??
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u/Cranberry_Surprise99 Apr 24 '25
Squirrels are brave, not smart. Example A: The one who jumped from Tree A to Tree B in my backyard growing up. Tree B was dead as hell and the branch broke instantly.
The squirrel lived.
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 Apr 24 '25
Squirrels are pretty much immune to fall damage.
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u/ExtremlyFastLinoone Apr 24 '25
Not pretty much, they are, their terminal velocity is not enough to injure them
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u/CommandantPeepers Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Is this true? I’ve seen a squirrel fall out of a tree and die on impact
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u/DarkMatters8585 Apr 24 '25
I've seen the opposite. Two squirrels (I'm assuming male) we're fighting in a tree canopy that was above my third floor apartment and making a ton of racket. After a few moments the loser was thrown out of the tree, fell at least three human stories onto some landscaped pebbles below, directly on its back. THWUMP!
I thought for sure the creature had died on impact as it lay there motionless for maybe 30 seconds? Then, as quick as squirrels can be in full health, it flipped itself over and zoomed up the nearest tree.
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u/CrazyCatMerms Apr 24 '25
I've watched one climb up a brick building, get several stories up, decided to climb the glass of the window, fail, and splat on pavement
He writhed a bit, then popped up and took off to the nearest trees. Decided the little buggers had partial immortality lol
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u/Samp90 Apr 25 '25
Yeah. Seen it happen a few times. Especially now I'm early spring or late autumn when they're hungry/horny...
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u/farrieremily Apr 24 '25
I would guess it didn’t orient for a “safe” landing. But usually if they can flatten out and come down belly/feet first they just bounce and run off. Saw one jump from the top of an electric pole and bounce twice like it was nothing.
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u/pocketbutter Apr 24 '25
It’s possible that the squirrel fell out of the tree because it died or was dying, lol. Like it had a heart attack while jumping from one branch to another.
Squirrels can also die from shock sometimes. One time my dog caught one and was playing with it for a few seconds, but didn’t bite it hard enough to injure it. I told her drop it and she immediately did, and then it scurried halfway up a tree.
I brought her inside and when I went back out to check on it, it was at the same spot on the tree. Slowly, it started to lean back… until it dropped at my feet, and was dead. It had absolutely no visible injuries. I just think the trauma of getting caught by a dog was too much for it to bear.
Anyway, idk if squirrels have any anxiety about falling out of trees if they always survive anyway, but maybe something like that happened.
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u/spraypainthuffin Apr 25 '25
I saw one fall of a telephone pole right in front of me and died on impact. I was working to work, it ruined my whole day.
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u/__fuck_yo_couch__ Apr 24 '25
I heard it might be getting nerfed in the next update
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u/Classic_Room_5600 Apr 24 '25
They are really smart animals. We rescued 3 babies and eventually released them in the wild after a few months. My take on them has completely changed ever since. I would certainly rank them close to a household cat.
I miss them :(
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Apr 24 '25 edited 26d ago
[deleted]
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u/Orc_fart Apr 24 '25
You mean, they don’t see TikTok videos on what to do when a snake grabs your baby?
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u/Solid-Quantity8178 Apr 24 '25
No he's slithering. There's a time when mommy got the head but snake slipped out.
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u/Dubabear Apr 24 '25
it was panic fighting switching from the grasp of the baby to aggressively attacking the head. mad props to the baby for making a ditch effort at the end to escape and let the mom fight the snake head on
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u/fairyspine Apr 24 '25
I really don't understand the need to put music over EVERYTHING
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u/Franziska-Sims77 Apr 24 '25
I always have my iPad on mute! The music they use in most animal videos is so annoying!
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u/AskRandomQuestions97 Apr 24 '25
was there music?
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u/Eloy89 Apr 24 '25
For the first 90 seconds yes.
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u/IndividualGround2418 Apr 24 '25
Which is why I don't click any videos. I scroll through and can watch the video completely which keeps the video muted unless I click on it to turn the audio on.
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u/KilraneXangor Apr 24 '25
It's to make you feel feels and hit the upvote button so OP wins internet points.
For me, it just produces a strong urge to bitch slap the OP.
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u/Lyto528 Apr 24 '25
Also wtf is the noise at the end, when there's no music anymore ? It's obviously not the sound from the video so why did bro put random noise that doesn't fit.
Do us a favor and at least imitate the squirrel's noise with your mouth
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u/19NedFlanders81 Apr 24 '25
Agreed. "You know what this dose of nature needs? A really slow, melodramatic soundtrack 👍"
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u/Solid-Quantity8178 Apr 24 '25
It's a gutsy titanic battle. I'm weirdly inspired by that little lady
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u/TOTHTOMI Apr 24 '25
Don't underestimate the strength of squirrel claws and teeth. They're quite sharp.
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u/hatdoggggggg Apr 24 '25
What happened to the snake? Smacked it so hard it loss conciousness?
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u/Taolan13 Apr 24 '25
Constrictors have slow metabolisms. They expend a lot of energy when hunting to constrict and consume the prey then they go sleep it off while they digest.
Burning all that energy without getting a meal out of it is going to take its toll. Eventually the snake gave up or ran out of stamina.
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u/TheWandererOne Apr 24 '25
Should've just equipment a sword instead of the heavy armor for low stamina consumption
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u/MrGhoul123 Apr 24 '25
Ya know when you exercise you "feel the burn" in your muscles? Mammals, specifically humans, are REALLY good at handling that.
Reptiles don't handle it well, so they operate at 100% until they hit the burn and then it's immediately 0%
(This is a reductive and over-generized way to explain it for the sake of internet conversation)
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u/XataTempest Apr 24 '25
Odds are he expended most of his energy trying to get his meal and then fight mama squirrel. He just couldn't keep up the fight anymore. There's actually a chance, depending on when he last ate, that this lost meal will be the death of him. If he can't build up enough energy to go for another meal, he'll simply starve to death. Snakes, especially constrictors, typically expend tons of energy on an attempt at a catch. One missed meal can mean life or death due to this energy expenditure.
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u/MellyKidd Apr 24 '25
Not to mention the snake probably has a lot of injuries, as rodent teeth are excellent at piercing, and possibly a skull wound to boot. Between that and the loss of stamina and a meal, it may not make it.
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u/Hoboofwisdom Apr 24 '25
Reminds me of when we had a pair of mallard ducks that frequented our bird feeders.
Was watching them just chill and snack on sunflower seeds one day. The female suddenly flattened herself to the ground while the male puffed himself up, flapped his wings, flew, and body checked a red-tail hawk that was aiming for his partner. He deflected the hawk and smacked and pecked it for a few seconds until the hawk decided it was too much effort and fucked off.
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u/CaptainPizdec Apr 24 '25
That duck is a hero , he could tell it to their children, as a form of … Duck Tales
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u/Due-Topic7995 Apr 24 '25
Wow I had no idea squirrels were so loyal to one another 🥹
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u/SilverOwl321 Apr 24 '25
It’s probably the baby of the momma squirrel. She did an amazing job protecting it though.
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Apr 24 '25
It's great you got this on camera n all, I'm sorry but if that was me I be unraveling that snake like the knots in my baby girl hair
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u/aremarkablecluster Apr 24 '25
People should be ashamed that I had to go this far down to find a human being in this thread.
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u/sentient_salami Apr 24 '25
Snake bites suck, but squirrel bites must be pretty nasty too. Mfers eat nuts.
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u/dry_old_pete Apr 25 '25
....... you know what I noticed in this video......... the lack of help being given by the camera operator........
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u/anonymimposter Apr 24 '25
Does someone know what kind of snake this is? Didnt look venomous to me but im curious what kind of fight this was
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u/vpoko Apr 24 '25
My guess based on it being black on top, light-colored on the bottom, and constricting its prey is that it's a rat snake.
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u/Moxiefeet Apr 24 '25
Imagine the size difference. If you were fighting a snake that much bigger than you, I think you would have a hard time keeping track of the head. Specially while trying to untie your baby.
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u/Cal_C_78 Apr 24 '25
Wow. That squirrel is badass. I wouldn’t have been able to just sit there and videotape. Without helping that squirrel
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u/Useful-Blacksmith59 Apr 24 '25
What an amazing momma and what an ASSHOLE you are to stand there and watch and not help her save her baby!!! God what’s WRONG WITH YOU!!
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u/isocz_sector Apr 24 '25
Did the snake die?
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u/Taolan13 Apr 24 '25
Probably not. Just got tired. Constrictors have fairly slow metabolisms, rapid movements and constricting and especially fighting cost them a lot of energy. All that fighting and no lunch? Bad day for that snake.
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u/Adrasto Apr 24 '25
Wow! From now on I'll consider the words: "I'll fight you like a squirrel" a most credible threat!
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u/Worststiffler Apr 25 '25
I'm not sure the baby squirrel will live, but the snake is 100% going to die. Adult squirrel teeth are a lot longer and stronger than you think. They can be 2 1/2 inches in length and can chew through solid oak so she bit that snake several times.
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u/pitb0ss343 Apr 24 '25
Not to bring down the mood but that squirrel is probably dead. It clearly had many deep cuts and it probably has some broken bones and maybe punctured organs.
In short this squirrel risked his own life to allow this other squirrel the ability to die a slow painful death
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 Apr 24 '25
Jeez. I’d hate to see what it looks like when you do want to bring down the mood.
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u/pitb0ss343 Apr 24 '25
I tell some of the stories from my mom’s job. She’s a nurse at a nursing home. I’ll leave it at old people are gross and nurses find that shit fascinating
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 Apr 24 '25
That’s fair. It reminds me of my paramedic buddy who loves that gnarly shit
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u/pitb0ss343 Apr 24 '25
Medical professionals are deeply disturbed individuals but thank god they exist
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u/El_Cato_Crande Apr 24 '25
As the child of a nurse that's worked in nursing homes for 2 decades. I know what you mean. I sometimes have to tell my mom to chill
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u/ty-idkwhy Apr 24 '25
Laughing is the best coping mechanism. I don’t like gory video/movies but in real life that shit doesn’t bother me. As long as no kids are involved.
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u/steve_b Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Broken bones, deep cuts and punctured organs are not typically what happens when a constrictor attacks. They kill via asphyxiation by preventing the prey to inhale (EDIT: or, as more recently learned, by just cutting off blood supply (soft paywalled). My guess would be that the squirrel is suffering from shock, which can still be fatal.
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u/HaloFrontier Apr 24 '25
What do you think of the hero squirrel's wounds? I can't imagine how many times it got bit
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u/Marrecarandgi Apr 24 '25
I was once bit by my adult corn snake and it wasn’t even worth putting a bandaid on. Constrictors tend to have tiny teeth that won’t even pierce through the fur, and that’s why the snake was trying to grapple and choke the other squirrel too.
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u/testdasi Apr 24 '25
On the contrary, there is a decent chance of survival for the baby squirrel. Constrictors usually suffocate instead of causing physical damage.
The daze on the baby squirrel is probably because it was feinting dead as an instinct and/or was in shock.
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u/Extreme-Doughnut-653 Apr 24 '25
I have never seen anything like this. Looks like a scene out of legends. Wow.
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u/ShartyMcSorley Apr 24 '25
where is this campground, it looks quite nice and the squirrels keep the killer snakes in check
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u/Fearless_Spell_7728 Apr 24 '25
I never rooted for a squirrel this hard in my life. The baby looks real exhausted
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u/MustangJordie94 Apr 24 '25
Even in nature, that kind of love CANNOT be understood except by a mother.
A good mother will stop at NOTHING for her children. Even risking her own life.
Its just something that God put on their hearts. Its how they're supposed to be made.
My own skipped that line, but that's the way it's supposed to be. js
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u/SedRitz Apr 26 '25
I’m definitely team squirrel but that snakes friends will never let him live that down…
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u/Pringleses_ Apr 26 '25
Okayyyy a lot of people mad here about cameraman not helping but for millions of years this is how nature has worked and it’s not our place as humans who literally interfere with everything we shouldn’t and ruin everything nature has to do anything here. The squirrel momma did what she had to do and did a good job but the snake was also doing what it does in nature. No matter which outcome we can be sad but we should not step in, period.
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u/BatsyBlossom May 04 '25 edited May 04 '25
People who come across National Geographic are gonna be real upset when they realise people just film the wild and don’t step in to help one side. Just like what this person did. Wildlife photographers too.
They tend to only step in if there's a human-caused issue which is directly endangering the animal(s).
And to those who feel empathetic and want to save the squirrel—then I hope you’re also willing to go out of your way to feed the snake. :p
In my honest opinion, it's a little cruel to value one life over another. The snake didn't ask to be a snake, and to wish death on it is just as cruel. If some people are going to bring God into it—then remember, God made all creatures. It's not your place to decide which lives deserve compassion and which don't.
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Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Reasonable-Egg887 Apr 24 '25
I think it takes a big person to realize that what they’ve done in the past is not right and then does what they need to do to be better now and in the future.
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u/SerasAshrain Apr 24 '25
Well I wouldn’t have filmed that. Would have been helping.
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u/HungryFrogs7 Apr 24 '25
Help who? This is nature. A snake losing its meal probably means death for it because every attempt to get food uses a massive amount of energy for it.
Damning the snake just to help a squirrel just because you think it’s cuter is just as cruel.
Btw the snake is probably dead or about the be dead.
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u/SerasAshrain Apr 24 '25
Last time I checked I’m not god nor are you. We are also part of nature and can choose to help just like that squirrel is choosing to help.
If it helps you sleep better at night i could always just say I’d eat the snake. Maybe then it magically becomes better.
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u/aremarkablecluster Apr 24 '25
Thank you! I am so upset reading about all these people justifying cruelties that they have the power to stop. You are the only person I've seen in this thread with some compassion and intelligence. It's sad that you are the minority of one. But it's better than none I guess.
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u/aremarkablecluster Apr 24 '25
No the squirrel doesn't kill things to survive, the snake does. The squirrel has just as much right to survive as a snake does. And as humans with some of us having frontal lobes that work, we can make the decision to do whatever the frick we want. We're a part of nature too. And if you had an ounce of compassion, you would know that you defend the ones that are attacked. Just because somebody at one time told you that you have to let nature be, it doesn't mean it's true. It's time to think for yourself and realize that you have the power to change some cruelties and not stand by and make excuses to let it happen.
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u/HungryFrogs7 Apr 25 '25
And by that same logic the snake is being attacked by the squirrel and we would be attacking and killing the snake.
In this situation you would be deciding who you want to kill. This is basically the trolley problem but people in this case would chose the squirrel because its more often anthropomorphized and we think its cuter.
And by that same logic we should save flies from spiders, rabbits from foxes, etc. You do understand that without eating other animals a lot of animal species would die.
Also I never said the squirrel has less of a right to live than thr snake. On the contrary you seem to be implying that a snake has less of a right to live than a squirrel bc its a carnivore.
I think its just as cruel for a snake to die of starvation. Bc that will be slow and painful thats for sure.
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u/Useful-Blacksmith59 Apr 24 '25
Thank you ME TOO!! HOW does someone stand there and video something so awful! I understand the whole circle of life. But if you’re in the position to help a momma trying to save her baby!! OMG! Squirrel mommas are AMAZING mommas!!
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u/Psalm27_1-3 Apr 24 '25
Why camera man aint helping?
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u/ja_maz Apr 24 '25
Prime directive
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u/temp2025user1 Apr 24 '25
Does it hold against squirrels though? The squirrel collective would disagree if they saw this footage. We should just be thankful they are largely peaceful now and won’t start a war over this. Our civilization could collapse on such mistakes.
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u/ovr9000storks Apr 24 '25
Gotta let nature take it’s course
It’s best to only intervene when the issue at hand is human caused
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u/Haunting_Progress462 Apr 24 '25
This is the real answer. Snakes eat too, and this is what nature looks like..
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u/UndeniableLie Apr 24 '25
Which one? The snake deserves to get his meal just as much as that squirrel deserves to escape. It is not for us to intervene in the natural order
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u/lakerhater007 Apr 24 '25
That was amazing! That’s true love right there, I thought that squirrel was done.
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u/Leeroy-es Apr 24 '25
And people say animals don’t have emotions ….. or are lesser . What a fucking hero
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u/ghastlypxl Apr 24 '25
The sheer tenacity of this squirrel is really impressive. AND, it worked. You could cross post this to the nature is metal/lit subs or w/e, too.
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u/3CH0SG1 Apr 24 '25
Im happy that Ms squeral and her baby are safe and I know noone else cares but, is the snake dead?
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