The incident occurred when a group of people was walking along a trail leading up a mountain in Chiang Rai Province (northern Thailand). One member of the group was using a mobile phone to capture the scenery around them and inadvertently recorded a moment that left many feeling uneasy.
As the group walked along the trail surrounded by dense bushes, suddenly, a large snake emerged from the underbrush, raised its head high, and targeted the group for an attack.
The snake’s unexpected appearance and sudden leap startled the group, causing them to flee immediately. Fortunately, no one was bitten by the snake in this situation.
(Video: ViralHog).
The clip of the incident quickly went “viral” after being posted on social media, attracting hundreds of thousands of views, comments, and shares. Many netizens debated the species of the snake featured in the clip. Some opinions suggested it was a cobra due to its behavior of raising its head and suddenly lunging out from the bushes.
Heart-stopping moment as a snake suddenly lunges at a group of hikers.
However, animal experts later identified the snake in the clip as a rat snake. As its name suggests, rat snakes typically hunt mice for food. This species is non-venomous and kills its prey by constriction. This type of snake poses no danger to humans; however, the sudden appearance and aggressive behavior of a large snake understandably caused the hikers to panic and run away.
According to animal experts, most snake species tend to hide and avoid confrontation with humans. However, some species may choose to attack if they feel threatened when a person approaches, instead of fleeing. Certain venomous snakes, such as the Gaboon viper, will remain still to hide, and if a person inadvertently steps on them, they will attack but remain in place rather than fleeing like many other snake species.
