“The issue resolved itself”
By Ashley Ortiz
Published on Nov 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM
On a typical summer’s day in Florida earlier this year, a local homeowner spotted a wild bird exhibiting a concerning behavior. In fact, it was what the egret wasn’t doing that worried him.
“An [egret] … had been standing in the same spot all day and … possibly had something in its throat,” WILD Florida Rescue (WFR) wrote on Facebook.
The man texted WFR for advice, and dispatcher Alice quickly passed the message along to rescuer Heather. Per the man’s request, Alice asked Heather if she could respond to the scene and help the possibly sick bird.
But after observing the bird’s posture in the photos they received, Heather didn’t think he was sick at all. Something entirely different was going on.
“Heather said by the photos that she didn’t think the bird necessarily needed help,” WFR wrote. “[I]t looked like the bird swallowed a snake and that the snake was trying to get out.”
Alice responded to the Good Samaritan by sharing Heather’s theory, then continued chatting with her colleague about similar occurrences she’d seen in the past.
Minutes later, they received a response from the man that confirmed Heather’s suspicion.
“The gentleman just texted me that the issue resolved itself …” Alice said to Heather on the phone.. “Look at your photos!”
The updated pictures showed the poor egret still standing in the same spot, but this time with a garden snake wrapped around his neck and beak.
Thankfully, the snake had escaped from the egret’s gullet unharmed, and the bird was OK, albeit annoyed. The only thing left to do was separate the two wild beings once and for all.
Moments later, they received a final picture from the man of him holding the snake indoors. The egret remained outside and went along with his day as if nothing had happened.
It’s unclear exactly how the man removed the snake from the bird — a detail that left both WFR’s staff and social media followers stunned.
“I haven’t asked but sure am curious!” WFR responded to a Facebook comment inquiring about the rescue. “Like, did he grab the bird? The snake? Did he yell ‘Drop it!’?”
You can read more comments about the unusual rescue here:
We may never know how the man managed to separate the two wild creatures, but all that matters is that both animals survived to tell the tale.
And, while it seemed alarming at first, the folks at WFR hope the Good Samaritan could also laugh it off.
“[It] was a bit comical how it all went down,” WFR wrote.
To help wildlife in Florida get the care they need, you can donate to WILD Florida Rescue here.