Time-lapse video of bird’s nest illustrates cruel twists in circle of life

A curious filmmaker got more than he bargained for when he decided to record a mother robin and her nest of eggs.

The seemingly innocent time-lapse video by YouTuber Tan Nguyen ends with an unexpected visit from a snake who gobbles up the eggs leaving the next completely empty.

Nguyen reportedly found a new robin’s nest in his front yard, and decided to sneak a GoPro camera above it to try and capture nature in action.

“Was hoping to see the eggs hatch but instead this happened…,” the video’s description reads. A mother robin can be seen perched on top of four light blue eggs, before eventually flying off for the day.

It’s not long until the peaceful scene is quickly interrupted by a black snake slithering into the unattended nest. The reptile wastes no time as it begins expanding its jaw and swallowing each egg, one after the other, with deadly determination.

The serpent can also be seen resting for a few moments after its easy meal, before eventually slinking away from the scene of the crime.

Thankfully, the audience is spared from seeing the heartbreaking moment when the mother bird returns to her empty nest.

Even so, that didn’t stop many in the comment section from voicing their displeasure with the clip’s up close look at the circle of life.

It may not be pretty to look at, but then again, snakes do have to eat too.