Snakes can trigger a wide variety of feelings in us. Many people are fascinated by the silent reptiles, while others associate snakes primarily with danger.
The animals even have their own anxiety disorder: Ophidiophobia.
Corey Keppel feels something completely different when he encounters a rattlesnake: concern and compassion.
Hot drought
Corey encounters the rattlesnake in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area in Tuscon, Arizona.
He’s on a hike in the picturesque canyon, which is remarkable in itself.
The temperature is 38 degrees and the air is dry as dust because it hasn’t rained for months.
Walking around the canyon in this weather is quite a challenge for the body.
Suddenly Corey sees something ring-shaped among the grey stones and stops. It is a coiled rattlesnake.
Strong empathy
Most people would probably have simply walked on or pulled out their mobile phones to take a photo.
But Corey thinks about how the animal must feel in the heat and the months-long drought.
He quickly comes to the conclusion that, despite being well adapted to hot and dry conditions, the rattlesnake must be suffering after this long drought.
It certainly wouldn’t mind a good drink of water.
Frightened snake
How do you give a snake water?
Corey doesn’t have a bowl with him that could be filled with the precious liquid, and he can’t pour it directly into the rattlesnake’s mouth.
So he does the only right thing. He sprinkles the reptile with the water from his bottle. The rattlesnake is initially shocked.
The fact that friendly people want to help it is not part of its experience. So at first it takes flight.
Finally something to drink
But then the rattlesnake realises that the liquid is refreshing water.
It quickly rolls itself up again, transforming its long body into a kind of bowl and begins to drink.
When the bottle is empty, Corey fills it up a few hundred metres away. Then he comes back so that the snake can drink as much as it wants. What great behaviour!
Source: TheDodo
