News: 2 die in rock python attack

[jclaiborne]

My son turns 5 this week, my heart goes out to the family. That being said I agree with everyones posts, the owner should be the one held responsible, it was due to his improper care that this even happened.

[Slitherous]

Unfortunately, no matter what the facts turn out to be, we as reptile keepers will be vilified by the general public in the end. It's yet another example of a single irresponsible keeper doing something that effects all of us. I just watched the uncle of the victims make a statement on CNN, and he said they had been out to a farm with various animals earlier during that day. Combine that with an ill-kept large hungry snake and the smell of prey and the reports sound possibly plausible. But I wonder why someone didn't notice? Especially when the snake supposedly "fell", (as quoted from CNN), from the ceiling vent and then subsequently constricted the children. So many questions.............was the snake feeding? Were there bite wounds on the victims? Was the snake just laying there? I have kept large pythons, and they begin to feed after constriction. If the snake wasn't attempting to feed I wonder about a cover up for a more human-like crime. This is a horrible tragedy whatever the cause, but I find it hard to believe that even a large python could constrict two children at the same time without any noise or commotion, (not saying it couldn't happen, just saying it sounds unlikely). Whatever the truth turns out to be, the knee-jerk reaction will be negative towards ANY type of python and those that keep them.


S

[MrLang]

I just don't know about all of this. One kid just hangs out there while the other gets killed? A kid that age is not TOTALLY useless... were they locked in the room or something?

Has anyone ever heard of a constrictor using constriction as a defensive behavior?

[Diamond Serpents]

My son turns 5 this week, my heart goes out to the family. That being said I agree with everyones posts, the owner should be the one held responsible, it was due to his improper care that this even happened.

x2 I agree 100% and its people like him who are ruining it for responsible people with children. On the other hand it could have been a mistake with not locking the cage ect.... Regardless its a mistake that's taken the life of two lil dudes that you can never replace. That's something this guy is going to have to live with the rest of his life.

I have OCD when it comes to checking and closing cages sometimes I have to do it 3 or 4 times before I'm happy and can walk away.

[SquamishSerpents]

They were released and they found bite marks.

Says who, I cannot find it anywhere

[jclaiborne]

x2 I agree 100% and its people like him who are ruining it for responsible people with children. On the other hand it could have been a mistake with not locking the cage ect.... Regardless its a mistake that's taken the life of two lil dudes that you can never replace. That's something this guy is going to have to live with the rest of his life.

I have OCD when it comes to checking and closing cages sometimes I have to do it 3 or 4 times before I'm happy and can walk away.

I go into OCD mode too! I check my locks at least 3 times when I have opened the enclosure and I check the locks evertime I pass the cages.

[Neal]

I've heard so many variations of the story so I'm not going to even bother paying attention with it to be honest. I feel for the families of the two kids that were killed and may god rest their soul, but that's as far as I'm going to get into this discussion.

[Maverick67]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ed-boys-world/

Well Nat Geo isn't helping

"Two boys found strangled to death by an African rock python in New Brunswick, Canada, on Monday were victims of one of the world's most vicious snakes."

[Mephibosheth1]

Dang Nat Geo...I thought you were better than this...*facepalm*

[CrystalRose]

The discovery channel did an article too and they aren't helping much either.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/pe...ids-130806.htm