"Moms" are protective by nature and when it comes to their children, whether it's humans
or animals anything goes.
They do everything they can from shielding them from danger to putting themselves in
harm's way.
It can be hard for them to prioritize safety for themselves before their young.
Researchers have established a reason behind this act lies in the love hormone, oxytocin,
during an experiment with rats, this hormone drives a mother to protect her young ones.
It also plays a role in social interaction and breastfeeding.
Recent studies have concluded that oxytocin, which is released when mothers protect their
young, is linked to this protective instinct.
A mother squirrel takes on a hissing cobra and somehow dodges its deadly strikes in a
once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
It was astonishing experience for safari guide.
The Cape Ground squirrel was filmed chucking dust and charging at the venomous Cape Cobra
in Kgalagati Transfrontier Park, South Africa.
Dave Puesy, a 41-year-old safari guide for Leo Vantage Safari shared a video of a sighting
of a squirrel with Kruger sightings YouTube channel, bravely fight and taut a cobra to
protect her babies.
He was in the park on the matamata road when he filmed the sighting.
He said that snake sightings in this area are not unexpected because there are many
snake sightings in the soft sand, after some rain so a Cape Cobra showing up is no surprise.
However, the snakes seem to be very tense and ready to strike.
And just inches away from it, they noticed a ground squirrel.
They cannot believe what they saw, and were even worried at first for the squirrel, but
were amazed at the bravery and the speed of the squirrel creeping up to the snake to get
closer to it.
The snake would launch forward and snap a bite of the squirrel, but the squirrel was
quick to react and jump out of reach of the bite every time.
This was a once in a lifetime view as Dave Puesy described it.
It's truly remark.
They waited for about half an hour to see the ending of this fascinating story until
the snake took refuge in some bush and found a hole there and slithered into it.
We were in the park at the Matamata Road when we filmed this sighting.
We love the Kalahari because you can always expect the unexpected to happen on a daily
basis.
However, this day was extra special.
We had already seen a puff atter in the road, before this siding, and had seen so many signs
of snake activity in the soft sand after some rain.
So, we weren't surprised to spot the Cape Cobra on the side of the road.
However, he seemed to be very tense and ready to strike.
And then we noticed the ground squirrel merely inches away from the Cobra.
We couldn't believe our eyes when the scene unfolded before us and after initially fearing
for the ground squirrel, we were amazed at the bravery and speed of the squirrel and
how it was irritating the deadly snake.
The squirrel kept creeping up to the snake just as it gets close enough, the snake would
launch forward and snap a bite at the squirrel.
The squirrel however, reacted much too quickly and jumped out of the reach of the bite every
time.
“I've been traveling to the Kgalagati for many years, and never thought I would ever
see something like this.
This was truly a once in a lifetime siding”.
We waited for the fascinating story to end, and after about half an hour, the snake took
refuge in some bushes and eventually found a whole dis slither into.
The female squirrel then started relaxing and carried on with her business.
It's most likely that the squirrel had youngsters close by, and just wanted the cobra to move
away from the area.
It is fascinating to watch how she used her tail and speed to charge the Cape Cobra, and
eventually run it off in a different direction.
There were a few moments where we were sure she got struck by the Cobra, but she was too
quick for the snake.
Mother squirrel is truly fast and furious.
That even a snake backed off and went into hiding.
The David and Goliath encounter has caught attention on the internet.
One armchair wildlife expert commented on the squirrel mom's heroic acts, at how amazing
it is that she used her tail to confuse the snake and make it strike at it instead.
Another one joke that However, this inner species showdown is common.
According to a 2019 news scientist study, Cape Ground Squirrels regularly fight off
offspring menacing Cape Cobras.
The ground squirrels use their tails as a decoy, just like what the video is showing,
and the venom of the Cobra can cause respiratory failure within an hour.
Scientific studies have found that ground squirrels regularly challenge cobras, that
venture too close to their burrows.
“The animals engage in mobbing behaviour where they charge the predator and block its
advance with their tails”, According to a 2007 study in the Journal of Behavioural
Ecology.
They'll do this repeatedly until the snake backs away.
A study from the University of Manitoba Canada published in 2012, found that females with
juvenile offspring will harass snakes for more time and more intensely than any other
individual.
This instinct to protect one's offspring is not just confined to squirrels.
For example, animals like orangutans, polar bears, and African elephants will also do
their best to ensure the safety of their young.
But some animals don't take care of their young and just let them fend for themselves.
Luckily, the mother squirrel is there for her babies or who knows what may happen to
them.
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