Sad News

[TheresaBearden]

As a burm owner and breeder let me start by saying thank you to everyone here who understands the fault lies with the owner and not the snake. Needless to say our phones have been ringing off the hook and the most important point I try and make to someone is- IF THE SNAKE HAD ACCESS TO THE CHILD- THE CHILD HAD ACCESS TO THE SNAKE. Clearly irresponsible owners.

I am sorry this child was killed and my heart goes out to her.

However if the snake was not housed properly then I have no sympathy for the parents. I have listened to the broadcast over the news from central Florida and they stated the snake was put into a bag and placed into a glass aquarium. Where was the aquarium? Was that room locked? Was the top placed on and locked? What size was the aquarium? How was the bag secured? These are answers we may never get. An 8 foot burm is very strong-it can work itself out of a tied bag and it can push the top off an aquarium.
I have burms, I also have children. If one of my burms were to get out and harm one of my children I would be responsible. I can not find it in my heart to feel sorry for these parents, in fact, (and I am sorry if I offend anyone) they should be charged with involuntary manslaughter if it is discovered they were not keeping and caging the snake properly.
No one deserves to lose a child but what were they thinking not keeping the enclosure locked and the room the snake was kept in locked?
Like I said I have children but from day one our enclosures have been locked, the room locked, and keys inaccessible to them.

[frankykeno]

I completely agree with you that the fault is firmly at the feet of this snake's owners. Who in the world keeps a snake in a bag like that, in an enclosure the animal was clearly able to get out of repeatedly? In an unsecured room where the snake obviously either had access to the child or the child had acess to the snake? Who in the world isn't supervising a toddler at 10 a.m. in the morning when any experienced parent knows it's pretty darn rare for that age group to be sleeping safe in their rooms? Idiots that's who!

Toddlers tend to get up early, are incredibly busy and curious at that age and simply can get into everything not locked or nailed down. The more I'm reading about the facts of this incident the more I'm just sick at what was allowed to happen to this child by parents that, by any measurement of good sense, did not take the steps appropriate to protect their child. Steps I might add that do NOT require you to be a rocket scientist for heaven's seaks - just to have a bit of good sense and a solid knowledge of the species of snake you are keeping.

[kazboots]

Its sad that a child lost their life but it is clearly the fault of the snake owner. I do not have kids but I take more precautions for the safety of my cats then they did for their child, My snakes are kept in secure cages on the other side of a door. I firmly believe with larger snakes that a failsafe such as being in another room should be in place in case of cage failure. I even put mesh over the vent to ensure nothing could squeeze through there and enter the rest of the house.
Even with the two 4ft RTBs that arrived with mites that had to be quarantined in my room with another cat who lives in there, I zip-tied the sliding lid shut and then duct taped another heavy mesh lid over it, is more precaution than it sounds like was made for the child. It may take me forever to get the cage open but at least I know they are not going anywhere. I dislike having them in there even with that security so as soon as the mites are gone they will be moved.
I don't plan on ever having children, so my burm will not ever pose a threat to my children, but even if a child came to visit they would not be allowed to be in the animals rooms unsupervised for their safety and the safety of the animals. I had just adopted a dog the week before my friend's(and roommate at the time) 17 year old brother came to visit for a week and since I didn't know the dog very well yet or her reactions. He was only allowed near her when we were around, not that he couldn't have managed a 43pound dog, she was abused in the past and I just didn't want him getting hurt.
It is just so irritating because both the child and the snake were innocent and now the child is dead and the snake is being blamed.

[kris62901]

http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI124859

pretty sad story

[Medusa]

My prayers go out to the family. However I do see grave neglegence on the owners part knowing they had a child in the home, I think I forsee some type of manslaughter charge.

[pavlovk1025]

[QUOTE=kazboots;1091531]dog, she was abused in the past and I just didn't want him getting hurt.
It is just so irritating because both the child and the snake were innocent and now the child is dead and the snake is being blamed.[/QUOTE]


The snake is being blamed? Read the comments section on any website that is running the story...WE as snake keepers are being blamed. We are being blamed for having a hobby, an interest, a passion...by people who have no idea what they're talking about. I am saddened by the ignorance of these irresposible snake owners, and even more by the overall ignorance of those who do not understand our herp world.

[Muze]

This is the equivalent of keeping a loaded gun on the coffee table. All I have are BPs (and no children), but for the snakes' sakes, I make sure that they are in secure enclosures. So far I have not had any escapees.

The snake cannot be blamed here. It is a wild animal. And , as all wild animals (especially of that size), it can be dangerous if not properly maintained. As a matter of fact, when it comes to small children, almost any animal can be considered dangerous if not properly supervised.

[kazboots]

The snake is being blamed? Read the comments section on any website that is running the story...WE as snake keepers are being blamed. We are being blamed for having a hobby, an interest, a passion...by people who have no idea what they're talking about. I am saddened by the ignorance of these irresposible snake owners, and even more by the overall ignorance of those who do not understand our herp world.

The snake is being blamed, it is portrayed as bad when it was not at fault, if that snake IS found to have killed the child under most laws it will be euthanized. We have been forced to kill dogs at the shelter for much much less. Dogs that were provoked by their owners and under proper circumstances would have never hurt anyone.

Yes, snake keepers are blamed for having them in the first place, and in the long run it will damage the hobby, the responsible ones are not the ones who make the news and rarely do most Non-Herp people hear of the precautions most of us take. The journalists just are not interested in "New Hampshire couple raises 16 Burmese Pythons and 3 children safely"<made that up<

[Chefranelli04]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/sto...7986040&page=1

[Qetu]

oh god.....