Student’s snake discovery becomes an Internet sensation

Coming across a Northern pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucus) is a pretty rare event, so it’s easy to understand wildlife enthusiast Christian Cave’s excitement when he came across one in southern Georgia. Plenty of other people have shared his excitement, too. Cave, a 22-year-old environmental studies student at Kennesaw State University, went viral with a post on his Caveman Wildlife TikTok feed documenting his discovery. Some 5.3 million viewers have watched his unexpected discovery and his Steve Irwin-like description.

“It was a snake that I’d been looking for since I was eight years old,” Cave told public radio station WABE.

He and his colleagues Bobby Hardin Jr. and Ryland McGreevy had already been gaining attention for their wildlife explorations on social media.

“It’s been crazy and I don’t know that I deserve any of it,” Cave told Kennesaw State University. “But I couldn’t ask for a better experience, traveling all over with my friends and letting people know about the importance of wildlife.”

Watch the video below.

@caveman_wildlife Makes the early mornings oh so worth it! 🥱 #wildlifewarriors #snakes #herp #herpetology ♬ оригинальный звук – zotov