News: 2 die in rock python attack

[Slitherous]

Agree with you on all points. I should mention the speaker wasn't a docent. It was a VERY small facility and the staff who care for the animals and dive in the tanks show the guests around.

I'm still a newbie, but I was also unimpressed with the husbandry. There were two crowded enclosures, both had multiple snakes in them. (Is it ok to house more than one Burmese or Retic together? Like I said, I'm pretty new.) I don't know what the temps/humidity were like, but at least one snake looked like it had had a really bad shed.

To be completely fair, the staff seemed to really care about the animals and were very protective of the ones that were brought out for interaction with the public (a Burm and a baby gator). They also mentioned that some of the large snakes had come from private owners who were no longer able to care for them, and the patchy ones MAY have arrived there that way. Or not.

Usually not a great idea, but as long as they are fed separately and kept clean I guess it's possible, (but not really recommended). Problems I've personally seen in such situations are lack of hygiene, (stink, mites, mess), and then I saw one instance in a pet store years ago in SoCal where two bigger burms were stupidly fed together inside their single enclosure, (by a very dumb employee of the store). The two snakes ended up striking/constricting one rabbit at the same time, the guy called for help but even then they were barely able to pry one of them off that rabbit, (and each other, had to pull that big ball 'o snakes and the rabbit all the way out of their cage to do it); it was quite a good floor show actually, very entertaining to watch. Had they not gotten them apart the larger of the two would have just kept going and swallowed the other...rabbit and all. Back then, (waayy back then), I had 3 Burms in the 12'-14' range, (no Retics or African rocks though, both species were too nasty tempered for me), but had separate enclosures for them. I'm only keeping Balls nowadays, but did keep the biggies when I was young, spry and less wise, (glad I outgrew that particular "phase" of my herping life).
So, the incident in New Brunswick sounds very unlikely to me, and I can say that having had hands-on experience with big pythons they are dangerous if taken for granted, but two children at once with no one hearing any commotion? Possible, yes......probable, no! I admit that an African Rock and a Burmese are polar opposites as far as temperament goes, and if you want to get badly bitten be incautious with an AR. However, I still can't imagine a circumstance where an AR would, or even could constrict two kids to death at once like it was described in the news....knowing what I know it just doesn't make any sense.

S

[Bluebonnet Herp]

Tougher exotic pet laws promised following python deaths
I'm still curious what has become of the criminal investigation.

[Slitherous]

Tougher exotic pet laws promised following python deaths
I'm still curious what has become of the criminal investigation.

The article mentioned that there was still an investigation going on, but didn't say anything else. I bet despite what the investigation reveals the regulations will be stiffened. At this point the government has to be seen as doing something, they can't ignore the publicity this event created; they will eventually do something. Whether it's something based on fact and science is another matter, it will most likely be a knee-jerk reaction which further restricts reptile keeping.....too bad.

S

[CrystalRose]

Just an update about this case.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...lton-1.2946509

[bcr229]

Thanks. I see the lunacy and ignorance have already taken hold in the comments.

[KING JAMES]

Why did you have to mention the comments...my day would have been so much better if I would not have went back and scrolled down to see the comments LOL

[CrystalRose]

Thanks. I see the lunacy and ignorance have already taken hold in the comments.

[SnakeBalls]

Not sure if anyone has posted an update yet. Sad story all around, unfortunate that 3 human lives were ruined and probably the poor snake too!

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2...h-of-boys.html

[kitedemon]

such a small article for such a long story there is more missing than is included. I actually have met Jean-Claude the snake owner and visited the shop/zoo (used in loose of terms...) it was a mess 7 years ago. It is the oddest case ever, the facts as we understand at this point are super sketchy. The snake left an enclosure (originally designed to house crocodilians) through a ceiling vent that had no cover (negligence IMO) the snake made its way upstairs and came through a ceiling vent to where the boys were sleeping on the living room floor. I guess it dropped down to the floor level (without waking anyone...?) and killed one boy then went on to kill the second. (still not waking anyone up??)

African Rock pythons need a zoo permit in NB they have for years. The stupid part is DNR gave reptile ocean a zoo permit, and actually the snake in question was seized and released to Reptile Ocean for 'safe' keeping. They then allowed the zoo permit to lapse and the yearly inspections stopped because they no longer possessed a permit. DNR also never removed the snake or other illegal animals they had records of.

There case is in the courts now and heads are going to roll, DNR heads and the snake owner is cooked (IMO) there is no way he can defend a snake escaping through a 8 inch vent shaft that had no grill or cover of any kind.

It makes me furious, those kids should never have died! The media sh1t show has caused no end of panic in the area (where I live) a few months ago a owner of a baby ball python told the super of his apartment building that his baby snake escaped and the resulting memo advised the other tenants to keep their children and pets supervised because the missing python could kill them. DNR is reviewing all snake ownership, and every snake is being called into question. It is such a mess. I saw the poor conditions the animals at reptile Ocean were housed under and the poor attitude of the staff that worked there.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/owner-o...ing-1.1423259#
http://globalnews.ca/news/769386/mis...cean-employee/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-br...flaw-1.1384533

fall out...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...bies-1.2651165

I can't help making the link released pets, python scare, dnr taking expensive permits, apartments that allowed snakes now changing their minds and threatening evictions. Could there be a relation? gee...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-s...oman-1.1300417

[SnakeBalls]

The plot thickens! I don't understand why a snake would kill/'attack' 2 kids (or anything for that matter) unless there was some sort of struggle and the snake reacted or it smelled like food. Heat + breathing movement + human boy smell = serial killer python? Maybe mom or dad decided on a late abortion?