Escaped Pet Pyton Srangled Florida Child

[Tokyo Rose]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ikR537iriP_MNsEkTxCq9Dnkfs5gD995QM3G0

OXFORD, Fla. (AP) — A 12-foot pet Burmese python broke out of an aquarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom Wednesday in a central Florida home, authorities said.


Why would such ignorant people who don't know how to handle a Python keep one in their home? This is a terrible tragedy.:sad:

[RootBeer]

Very sad indeed.

[wondering?]

How sad and preventable! Don't find any snake lovable and certainly not a Python.
And now it is on the loose somewhere, hope they stabbed it good!

[phylcore]

"I certainly hope in this case, the humans who "owned" this snake are charged with some crime, i.e. neglegent homicide."by CJ.
I so agree with you.Such a shame and so sad............

[hiitsme]

[QUOTE=Court Jester;13246560]Very sad and very complex issue.

Aren't there laws about "privately owning" animals et al that are dangerous to a community? The danger is that, if the animal were to get out of confinement, this animal could cause great physical harm to the community. This issue concerns rights of the individual vs good/protection of the community as a whole. I believe that the good/protection of the community wins out in court.

No one has the "right" to own a lion/tiger etc. 1) Confinement is cruel to the animal. 2) Should that animal escape confinement, the very nature of the animal is to survive and it will do whatever is natural to survive. It is no fault of the animal. It is squarely the fault of the human who decided they wanted "pet". This also concerns any life form which is not meant to be "domesticated".
You echo my feelings on this one!
This really sickens and saddens me. It almost affects me worse than one human killing another. As a lover of all kinds of animals and creatures, I find it reprehensible that these potentially dangerous "pets" are not totally confined at all times. Having said that, I believe that the unnatural means of captivity is bound to result in tragedy like this. I absolutely agree that the owners should be held criminally responsible

[Intermeist]

I totally agree with CJ on this also. You can't put the blame on the animal which was only doing what comes naturally. The blame rests solely on the owner of the so-called pet and he should face criminal charges.

[cantstandnuts]

Any idea if it's the parents who owned the snake? It seems as though, by reading the link, that the snake was in the same home as the child.

[NatalieB]

Any idea if it's the parents who owned the snake? It seems as though, by reading the link, that the snake was in the same home as the child.

Here is a link with a picture of the little girl.

It appears the BF of the child's mother had the snake in the home. I'm sure he's devastated, but IMO, he should be. What a careless and totally senseless tragedy this is.

From this link, it states the man did not have a permit for it, so he may face a 2nd degree misdemeanor. I sure hope they can get more than a misdemeanor out of this.

According to this link also, they found the snake in the home and are determining whether or not to euthanize it. I hope that doesn't turn out to be the fate for the reptile. It's so sad that they'd put it down for acting like the creature that it is.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/01/011359/child-strangled-python-sumter-county/news-breaking/

[lune3]

Are there any stab wounds on the snake? I would think if he stabbed the snake until it released the child, there would be obvious wounds. And in fact, the snake would be dead. Weird that he found the snake "on top" of the child.

Is that the snake in the picture? I don't see any stab wounds at all.

The pictures with this article do show that the snake was in fact bleeding from the stab wounds, but living.
It appears that the snake was to be placed with someone with a permit, or perhaps a facility.
Burmese pythons are being released into the wild in Florida it seems, and are reproducing. They can reach 26 feet in length. :scared:

What a terrible senseless tragedy this is.

http://news.aol.com/article/python-strangles-child/552884

[LadyBlue]

OMG who keeps a snake as a pet?! :confused: What do they feed something this big snake anyway? Live goats? Pet dogs and cats? I really think snakes should not be held as pets. Poor little baby girl! :sad: This is just outrages! :cursing:

[cantstandnuts]

Here is a link with a picture of the little girl.

It appears the BF of the child's mother had the snake in the home. I'm sure he's devastated, but IMO, he should be. What a careless and totally senseless tragedy this is.

From this link, it states the man did not have a permit for it, so he may face a 2nd degree misdemeanor. I sure hope they can get more than a misdemeanor out of this.

According to this link also, they found the snake in the home and are determining whether or not to euthanize it. I hope that doesn't turn out to be the fate for the reptile. It's so sad that they'd put it down for acting like the creature that it is.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/01/011359/child-strangled-python-sumter-county/news-breaking/

Thanks.

One of the other links says they are seeing if neglect charges apply here. So, it doesn't sound like much of anything legally will come of this.

How very sad. Poor little girl. Poor snake. Idiot boyfriend and mother IMO.

[AJandTam]

Thanks.

One of the other links says they are seeing if neglect charges apply here. So, it doesn't sound like much of anything legally will come of this.

How very sad. Poor little girl. Poor snake. Idiot boyfriend and mother IMO.

Just shaking my head. You can't prevent all things from happening. Sometimes accidents happen but this .. I don't consider this an accident. This was just straight up, idiots.

[taylor63]

I saw this story the other day on CNN Headline News. One of the commentators remarked you should never keep a predator,which is what a snake basically is, in the home with a small child and I totally agree. It literally horrifies me thinking of what that poor little child went through in the last few moments of her life.

[Jayne]

OMG..terrifying.

Hate snakes...worse than roaches.

Why? would anyone keep a snake like that in the house..free to roam about?

I love lions..but wouldn't keep one as a pet.

jmo

[cantstandnuts]

Just shaking my head. You can't prevent all things from happening. Sometimes accidents happen but this .. I don't consider this an accident. This was just straight up, idiots.

Absolutely right. I don't understand why people don't prevent what they can. So simple, no big snakes in the house!

[R~O~S]

OMG..terrifying.

Hate snakes...worse than roaches.

Why? would anyone keep a snake like that in the house..free to roam about?

I love lions..but wouldn't keep one as a pet.

jmo

They didn't, the snake had an enclosure it had broken out of twice that night.

There's conflicting information on how long it had been since the animal had been fed.

My son kept a snake and other reptiles because he found them fascinating. Other do because they're so allergic to dander they can't keep a pet with fur or feathers.

A snake that large would need to be fed every 10 to 12 days, the reports vary from it had been two weeks to as long as a month since he'd been fed.

Two weeks is long, a month is way outside the norm. The added issue is the size of the snake. What was he being fed? He'd need a rodent equal in diameter to his widest midpoint. IOW a full grown rabbit. Anything less he'd need to be fed more often.

Snakes are docile creatures provided they have the warmth they need in their enclosure, and they're fed. That this snake left his enclosure twice in one night tells me the poor thing was starving.

This wasn't an accident and it wasn't the snakes fault. The owner of this snake holds full responsibility for that little ones death. Even the injuries & victim show this snake was looking for food, there was no vicious intent.

People are as dumb as dirt. They take in exotics, never bother to find out their life expectancy, how big they'll eventually be, or educate themselves on their diet and cost of care beforehand.

I've fostered enough neurotic parrots to know I like animals a lot more than people, their predictable and understandable. They don't kill unless it's for food or protection and they don't torture for fun & amusement.

It would be nice if we could say the same for people, but we can't & yet we let them have children without so much as a license.

[warhorse46]

They didn't, the snake had an enclosure it had broken out of twice that night.

There's conflicting information on how long it had been since the animal had been fed.

My son kept a snake and other reptiles because he found them fascinating. Other do because they're so allergic to dander they can't keep a pet with fur or feathers.

A snake that large would need to be fed every 10 to 12 days, the reports vary from it had been two weeks to as long as a month since he'd been fed.

Two weeks is long, a month is way outside the norm. The added issue is the size of the snake. What was he being fed? He'd need a rodent equal in diameter to his widest midpoint. IOW a full grown rabbit. Anything less he'd need to be fed more often.

Snakes are docile creatures provided they have the warmth they need in their enclosure, and they're fed. That this snake left his enclosure twice in one night tells me the poor thing was starving.

This wasn't an accident and it wasn't the snakes fault. The owner of this snake holds full responsibility for that little ones death. Even the injuries & victim show this snake was looking for food, there was no vicious intent.

People are as dumb as dirt. They take in exotics, never bother to find out their life expectancy, how big they'll eventually be, or educate themselves on their diet and cost of care beforehand.

I've fostered enough neurotic parrots to know I like animals a lot more than people, their predictable and understandable. They don't kill unless it's for food or protection and they don't torture for fun & amusement.

It would be nice if we could say the same for people, but we can't & yet we let them have children without so much as a license.


Bravo! Excellent post with absolute facts. Thank you.

[Mandysmom]

OMG who keeps a snake as a pet?! :confused: What do they feed something this big snake anyway? Live goats? Pet dogs and cats? I really think snakes should not be held as pets. Poor little baby girl! :sad: This is just outrages! :cursing:

My nephew kept several snakes and other reptiles as pets. They didn't roam through the house though.

He kept them fed and comfortable and only took them out to get exercise and pet on them. I wasn't crazy about them, but to each his own.

This boyfriend is where the fault lies with this tragedy. The snake was doing what came natural to it when it apparently got hungry.

The poor baby died as a result of his negligence and carelessness.

[Jayne]

I don't think snakes should be kept as pets...I just don't like snakes...bottom line.but I'd be sure to FEED THEM if I did.

I'd prefer a lion..or ocelot..but feed them too!

leave them roaming about or in a cage? without food? They are not meant to be confined..

Yes..the boyfriend is responsible...in my opinion.

that poor snake (and I hate to say this...since I don't like them)..was HUNGRY...it wasn't his fault (or hers)...not like a gang snake...out to get it's territory? Or was it? that I question? I don't know a lot about veterinary stuff..but was this little snake (no BIG)..just saying "feed me"? I think he'd have eaten him in a minute..if he was hungry...the first time the snake would have gotten out of his cage..I'd have wondered "WHY"..need some food?

What an IDIOT?!!

This isn't criminal law 101..it's stupidity...

jmo

J

[Jayne]

450 licensee's the report says in FLA..where? in homes? zoos? reptile farms? of "reptiles of concern"..or venimous ones?

COME ON..get real...those do not belong in a HOME. Geeze...How do they license down there?

I love big cats...but if I wanted to spend some "real time" with them..I'd volunteer at a zoo or become a zoologist or some thing..NOT take one into my home..caged or not..and certainly NOT caged..so there you go. They do NOT belong in cages. They are wild..they are predators. God bless that little girl.

FLA is over run with these snakes..people let them go..they proliferate. FLA never had these kinds of snakes there..but now they have more than they can handle. WHO is licensing these people?

jmo

J

[R~O~S]

450 licensee's the report says in FLA..where? in homes? zoos? reptile farms? of "reptiles of concern"..or venimous ones?

COME ON..get real...those do not belong in a HOME. Geeze...How do they license down there?

I love big cats...but if I wanted to spend some "real time" with them..I'd volunteer at a zoo or become a zoologist or some thing..NOT take one into my home..caged or not..and certainly NOT caged..so there you go. They do NOT belong in cages. They are wild..they are predators. God bless that little girl.

FLA is over run with these snakes..people let them go..they proliferate. FLA never had these kinds of snakes there..but now they have more than they can handle. WHO is licensing these people?

jmo

J

You're right, it's a huge problem in Florida, not just snakes but other exotics. Macaws, African Grays and Cockatoos don't belong there either, or chimpanzees, spider monkeys or any number of other exotics we allow to be sold in pet stores.

Like I said before, people are dumb as dirt. They see the beautiful bird or the cute monkey in the pet store and buy on impulse never bothering to find out the most basic care and feeding of the animal.

When the reality of the situation makes care and feeding bothersome, all of a sudden that monkey isn't so cute, they let that animal go. If they do that in the NE the animal probably won't survive a winter (although we did have three alligators released in a local pond and they did survive last year), in Florida it's an entirely different story. They not only survive they thrive in the keys, with no natural predators to keep them under control they're doing serious damage to the natural habitat and wildlife.

But, this guy didn't even have the license required to have the two snakes he owned. That's why he's facing misdemeanor charges. Can you believe it? He thumbs his nose at the simplest requirement, have a permit to keep the animal, just like dog owners have a license for their dog.

When a child ends up dead because he couldn't even feed the poor thing, he faces only misdemeanor charges. He doesn't face those charges for the death he all but set up to happen, but because he didn't have a permit to have the snake to begin with.

They do not sell 6 to 8 foot snakes to the public, BTW. The pet store will sell a ball python when it's just a baby and about 12" to 18" long. They'll give you all the information you need to get started, they'll even give you an idea of how big they'll be. Key to that would be the buyer actually reads the information. It's been my experience they rarely do before passing through checkout and I have to wonder if they every do.

http://www.petco.com/caresheets/snakes/Snake_Python_Ball.pdf

I'm not sure if it should be allowed or not. I don't claim to have the answer. I know my son did all the right things because I'd have had his head if he didn't. Apparently a lot of folks consider animals disposable playthings rather than living creatures.

Poisonous snakes are not available for sale to the public. That doesn't mean they can't be gotten on the black market and that's an entirely different subject for a different thread.

[Jayne]

R O S

thank you...I don't feel like an idiot now!

I agree about the parrots, mackaws, chimps, etc. also. People are irresponsible with pet ownership many times..especially with these "exotics" that they can't keep up with. Plus the poor domesticated pets..dogs and cats that are left into the wild..on the road...to fend for themselves.

It's about responsibility and common sense. Or so I think.jmo

J

[desmom]

Prosecutors to discuss possible charges in python case
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-prosecutors-discuss-python-death-072809,0,5289897.story

[desmom]

Mom, Man Charged In Tot's Python Death
2-Year-Old Strangled By 8.5-Foot Burmese Python
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20536347/detail.html

Python Owner, Mother Charged In Toddler's Death
http://www.wesh.com/news/20536653/detail.html

[R~O~S]

Mom, Man Charged In Tot's Python Death
2-Year-Old Strangled By 8.5-Foot Burmese Python
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/20536347/detail.html

Python Owner, Mother Charged In Toddler's Death
http://www.wesh.com/news/20536653/detail.html

Well, well, well, look what I found linked in your links?

http://www.wesh.com/news/20322933/detail.html

Police said the arrest was a result of a one-week operation where agents made two separate buys from Darnell at his home in Oxford. On both occasions, undercover agents purchased powdered cocaine.

The transactions occurred at the front yard of Darnell's residence. The Special Investigations Squad conducted a field test on the purchased product, which came back positive for cocaine.

Darnell was charged with two counts of sale of cocaine, two counts of possession of cocaine with intent to sell, two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device and two counts of keep shop for dangerous drugs.

Now we know why he had an 8 to 12 foot snake in the house, it was to protect his stash. He probably kept it under the snakes bedding. It's probably the entire reason the appropriate latches weren't in place. Heaven forbid we be delayed in making that sale by a bunch of pesky safety regulations.

This is no different than the dirt balls that abuse dogs and use them for the same function.

[desmom]

Python mom loses custody of newborn
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/local/082509_python