Maternal Love is the sacred bond that a mother shares with her child throughout their lives, especially in life-and-death situations, where a mother’s instinct rises to protect her offspring at all costs.
Dave Pusey, a tour guide on a journey through Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa, witnessed a touching story of maternal love in the animal kingdom.
As an experienced professional, Mr. Pusey has a deep affection for Kgalagadi Park, known for its diverse and vast flora and fauna, making it a place where, if lucky, one can witness rare sights that are never seen in movies.
On that special day, along the familiar Mata Mata road, Mr. Pusey’s group discovered numerous snake tracks in the soil. The recent rain had left the ground moist, making the snake’s trail easily detectable.
After a short search, Mr. Pusey spotted a king cobra appearing by the roadside. However, the snake seemed to be in trouble and was preparing to strike at something.
Video: Latest Sightings.
Upon closer inspection, the group discovered the cobra’s opponent, a ground squirrel, just a few inches away.
“We were extremely amazed by the scene before us and very concerned for the safety of the little squirrel,” Mr. Pusey stated.
However, contrary to the viewers’ concerns, the squirrel displayed remarkable confidence, and its agility made it impossible for the snake to strike.
Facing a dangerous predator, the squirrel remained calm and composed.
It is important to note that the king cobra is not casually dubbed the king of venomous snakes.
According to research, a person bitten by a king cobra can stop breathing within 30 minutes. Their neurotoxic venom can kill an elephant. The venom consists of enzymes and polypeptides that cause tissue damage, swelling, necrosis, and nerve damage (post-synaptic neurotoxin, alpha type) leading to muscle paralysis.
In some cases, the cobra’s venom can cause immediate death due to muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. However, the most common injuries are necrosis and swelling.
It even found ways to tease the king cobra.
Yet the squirrel in the video showed no fear of the deadly predator it faced. In fact, it taunted the snake by continuously flicking its tail in front of it, appearing to challenge the cobra.
After about half an hour of this playful back-and-forth, the king cobra, losing its patience, had to give up.
According to Mr. Pusey’s observations, the squirrel’s bravery stemmed from the presence of its young nearby, thus its intention was to drive the king cobra away from its territory.
