(WSVN) - A man was out on a walk when he spotted a reptile slithering on the sidewalk, which turned out to be a venomous snake, but instead of killing the animal, he caught it for good use.
“That is crazy!” said the man who filmed Cross capturing the snake.
Bob Cross caught a four-foot cottonmouth water moccasin near Orlando.
“Moccasins are very dangerous,” said the snake-wrangler. “A four-foot one can be very dangerous. One bite and you could be fighting for your life.”
The serpent might have seen its last moments if anyone else had been walking along that piece of pavement, but Cross saved the creature for research purposes.
“After I donate the snake to the Discovery Reptile Center they [can] produce antivenom to save other lives,” Cross said.
The reptile center had its first demonstration of how to extract venom from a snake.
“My God!” someone exclaimed in fascination while they watched the extraction.
Cross said this time of the year brings more snakes to the area.
“Wetlands are all drying up,” he said. “The small ponds are all drying up, and the water snakes are looking for new water.”
Be mindful of your surroundings. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, cottonmouth snakes can be found in wet areas like streams, lakes and even roadside ditches.
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