A water moccasin sent Clear Creek Adventure Ranch rescue founder Jeremy Sons of Sanger, Texas, to the hospital after it bit his right hand as he moved a log.
Sons said he did not blame the snake, even though the bite left five puncture wounds, required repeated antivenom treatment, and ultimately led to an airlift for surgery.
Here's what to know
Sons described the snake as roughly 3 1/2 feet long and "big around as a baseball" at the sanctuary, which NBC DFW said takes in animals that were dumped or born with defects.
According to the station, he picked up the log before checking underneath it, and the water moccasin's strike left five puncture wounds in his right hand.
However, he showed understanding for the animal, saying a snake would naturally bite when startled.
"He's just doing what snakes do," he said.
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After calling ahead so antivenom would be available, Sons and his wife, Katelyn, headed to an emergency room in Denton, where doctors administered three doses that still did not prove sufficient.
"I felt myself decline, and it was really wild," Sons said. "Daggum, I thought I was dead."
More background
The bite quickly became more serious than swelling and pain.
Doctors later airlifted him to Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth for more antivenom and emergency surgery.
More broadly, when people and wildlife end up in the same space, conflict is often driven less by aggression than by surprise, stress, or self-defense.
What can be done?
Sons emphasized that he believed he was responsible for the encounter, highlighting the importance of giving snakes and other wildlife space and showing compassion. "I was the one in the wrong, not him."
"How many more snakes would live if you just weren't afraid of it? He's just doing what snakes do. You don't get mad at a dog for wagging its tail."
Keep a safe distance from wildlife and seek medical care quickly after a snakebite to prevent health complications.
Where can I learn more?
These stories cover other unexpected snake encounters. They include hospital trips after bites, close calls near water, and disputes over how people treat snakes.
• In Florida's Big Cypress, a snakebite sent one visitor to a hospital.
• A snake handler survived repeated black mamba bites after building up a dangerous venom tolerance.
• In Dhaka, snakes have made their way into human settlements as urbanization squeezes their habitat.
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