We all know that deer are herbivores animals who don't hunt or prey and primarily consume plant materials as their main diet. But a video shared by Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda, who is an active social media user shared a fascinating clip of a deer eating a snake. This rare sight was captured by a person crossing a jungle area in his car. The man recording the video can be heard saying, "Is he eating a snake?"
According to National Geographic, deer consumes meat when their bodies are considered deficient in minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and salt. This usually happens during the winter season or when plant life is scarce in the habitat in which they dwell.
"Cameras are helping us understand Nature better. Yes. Herbivorous animals do eat snakes at times," read the caption of the video shared by Nanda on microblogging site Twitter.
Since being shared,the clip has amassed 353.8k views, 2,536 likes and tons of comments.
On seeing the video, one of the user commented, "Can’t believe it ? May be not that poisonous snake ? Hope cameras & more research after eating snake effects on herbivorous will help in understanding it more.
"Nature is full of incredible and sometimes unexpected interactions, and this video showcases one such instance. It serves as a reminder of the vast diversity of animal behavior and the unique ways in which different species adapt to survive," wrote another user.
"That was a startling discovery which puts a question mark on the herbivorous and carnivorous nature of animals," commented a third.