(WatchDogReport.org) – A delivery driver in Dawson County, Nebraska, is being called a hero after battling a prairie rattlesnake while attempting to deliver a package to a customer’s front porch. FedEx driver Matt Govier encountered the serpent on the porch of Christie Jones, a customer on his delivery route.
Govier used a shovel and rake that he retrieved from Jones’ garage to kill the rattler and then removed it from the area. Govier did send a text message to Jones satirically expressing his hope that the dangerous snake was not a pet and informing her that it had been killed. He also apologized for the bloody mess that was made in the process.
Doorbell footage shows the prairie rattler coiled in a corner by the porch before Govier arrived. Jones was extremely grateful for Govier’s brave and swift action in dispatching the venomous snake as her 12-year-old daughter, Kyler, had walked through the front door shortly before Govier located the snake.
The grateful mother expressed a fear of any kind of snake and praised Govier for “taking care of business.” Jones posted the text message exchange between herself and the FedEx driver on her Facebook account.
Jones told NTV, an affiliate of ABC, that she is very grateful for Govier’s actions and believes he should be named employee of the year.
Prairie rattlesnakes are known as “ambush predators,” according to the National Park Service. The sneaky serpents hide under prairie grass or brush and use thermosensitive pits located on the top of their heads to track prey. The snakes stay hidden until their prey has approached striking distance, and then they attack.
According to the National Park Service, prairie rattlers can grow to be five feet long. The one killed by Govier was approximately three feet in length, which Jones fearfully referred to as “anaconda sized.”
These predators will bite and should not be provoked. To reduce the occurrence of bites, the National Park Services advises the public to give the snakes ample space and never attempt to catch the slithering creatures.
Copyright 2023, WatchDogReport.org
