Last week I brought you the story of 2 year old Shauinna Hare who was killed by her mother’s boyfriend’s pet Burmese Python. Apparently the snake had gotten out of it’s aquarium and slithered into the child’s room and into her crib, it bit her repeatedly and wrapped around her neck and squeezed the life out of her. By the time she was found by her mother’s boyfriend, she was already dead. You can read more about it here:
http://niecey456.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/toddler-killed-by-pet-snake/
Now since this story broke, it appeared that people began to panic and call pet stores and places like Gatorland and tried to get them to take their Burmese Pythons. The Florida Fish and Game is who you should call, and there is certainly reason to panic. These snakes should never ever be pets. Please DO NOT set them lose in the wild. DO NOT call the pet stores, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife.
With that said, I have read reports where the family was asked when the last time that the snake was fed was, and the reply, from what I understand was they couldn’t remember, maybe 2 weeks or a month ago. The snake was looking for food and found the smallest thing in the house it could go for. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!!! I have also read that the owner of the snake will most likely face charges. Charges could range from as serious as aggravated manslaughter, to as little as child neglect/endangerment. (not that that is little) He will most definitely be charged with not having a permit which is required by Florida Law. I heard the 911 call, and I do believe it was an accident, but you can’t contain an animal like that around small children, and not feed it like it is supposed to be fed and expect nothing to happen. These snakes are generally more aggressive anyway and should not be kept with children. They should not even be kept.
They are now tearing up Florida’s ecosystem, and have been for some time and it’s all because of irresponsible pet owners and of course the irresponsible people that sell them to them that don’t inform them of how to care for them or that when they get too large to handle they can become an ever present danger. Some can be blamed on hurricanes, but most are from irresponsibility. These things get large enough to eat alligators.
Now Senator Bill Nelson is fighting to get Congress to change the law on these snakes. Check it out:
http://www.wftv.com/countybycounty/19991844/detail.html
And Here:
http://www.wesh.com/news/19991675/detail.html
Now I’m not a big fan of our current Congress, but they could do Florida a favor, and ban these snakes all together. I applaud Senator Nelson for trying to get something done. I do feel as if these snakes should not be allowed to be pets anywhere in the United States. They get way too big. If we have to Florida’s estimation about 150,000 of these snakes in the Everglades, and that is true, more or less. How many missing children in that area could be attributed to something like that? Then wouldn’t we have had more victims??? You would never know if that happened. They are a threat and they should not be in this country.
I read about this Niecey, and it made me so angry! First of all, a snake is a wild animal. They certainly won’t allow you to have a black panther as a pet, then why should you be allowed to have a snake that grows big enough to eat a child? They need to ban people from owning these snakes! Go Senator Nelson! Plus, I hate snakes! Kill it! Kill it! Ki-i-i-i-i-i-llllll the snake!
Mother Clucker, I don’t care much for the snakes either. I agree with you that Senator Nelson is doing the right thing and I so hope Congress will listen.
I agree that this is the kind of animal that belongs in the wild and in it’s natural habitat, and not as a pet. That baby should not have had to die this way. It’s horrible. Why a parent would want something like that around their children is beyond me. Most especially when the thing was not being fed properly. That kind of animal is completely working off instinct, and has no emotional attachment.
Some of the neighbors had a fit and wanted to know why the snake was being kept alive. After all if that had been a pit bull or a dog of any kind it would have been put down. Authorities answer: “It’s being kept for evidence”. There will be charges in this case. They say the snake was way too skinny for it’s size. The family couldn’t remember if it had been fed 2 weeks or a month before this happened. They say the aquarium was only secured with a quilt and a rope tied around it.
are all pythons getting baned? ex.) ball pythons as well?
Hey Mari! I think they are going for the Burmese Pythons. That is the species that is posing the threat to the environment.