A video of a snake trying to steal a fisherman's catch in Petersburg, Illinois, went viral over the weekend.
Daron Searcy was fishing at a friend's pond when the incident took place.
"A few weeks ago I was fishing at a friend's pond. This snake was going up and down the bank in front of me," Searcy was quoted as saying by ViralHog. The video, which was shared on ViralHog's YouTube page on Friday, has been viewed thousands of times.
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The video, which was taken by Searcy, shows the snake gliding near a fishing basket and then disappearing underwater.
"It kept going underwater so I pulled out my phone and pulled in the basket," Searcy said.
When he began filming again, the snake reappeared. The snake is seen thrashing furiously in an attempt to steal the fish inside the basket.
YouTube users were shocked to see the video. Many commented on the video, with one saying: "You should give it one fish," another opined. "Human poacher steals snake's food," another added.
The snake in the video has not been identified. There are about 40 species of snakes found in the state, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Only four species of snakes found in Illinois are venomous.
Last month, photos showing a snake devouring a fish in Lake Graham in Texas went viral on social media. The images taken by a resident who was passing by the area shocked Facebook users. Connie Larance shared the pictures of the snake eating the fish in WFAA North Texas Through Your Lens Facebook group. "I was weedeating around our place on Lake Graham and caught movement to my left. I had disturbed this snake who was trying to devour his lunch! I did NOT kill the snake," Larance wrote, along with images of the reptile, at the time.
Initially, Larance did not know what species of snake it was. Later, it was revealed to be a nonvenomous diamond-backed water snake. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, many snakes feed on fish, mice, rats and pests, while others eat birds, bugs, plants and fungi.
Representational image Photo: pixabay
