Python kills two kids in New Brunswick

Two kids in New Brunswick are killed by a python
http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/python-killed-2-boys-kept-house-police-115742601.html?vp=1

I hope that link works. The funny thing is the news reported that the snake escaped the pet store. I guess the snake would have to find the house, knock, then go after the kids. It was the uncle who owned the pet store, the snake, and had his nephews over for the night when the snake went after them. In another article the pet store owner said that a lot of parents will buy their kids a snake or other reptile from his store to "shut them up" I guess unsupervised kids with a python will be shut up pretty soon after a squeeze from a 20 foot snake. I know a guy who bought his kids a big fish tank to "shut them up" then when they moved they dumped all the fish in the suburbs community pond to die.

The snake would have never attacked if it was fed properly. I don't get why people want large constrictors? There are many great snakes under 6 ft.

The guy that owned the snake was the father's "best friend" not the uncle as I thought I read. There is a petition on facebook to shut down Reptile Oceans over the deaths. There is always a petition to get rid of something when something happens to kids. It is like the guy who lost his son years ago to a freak lawn dart accident who called for the ban of all lawn darts

This story has been all over the news. People are calling for more restrictions and penalties, but there already ARE restrictions for owning such pets in Canada. Even the Vancouver Aquarium has to have specialized licensing to keep dangerous animals such as these particular snakes.

The snake was euthenized, and it was fed properly according to the autopsy. It wasn't starving. I figure that it was insufficiently housed, and finally managed to escape. I don't blame the snake one bit. How in the hell do you even house a 20 foot snake? It was probably cramped and suffering. These animals belong in the WILD, not in an apartment, house or pet store.

I feel terrible that these kyds had to die this way because of another person's negligence. I feel sad for the snake too, because it was just doing what pythons do.

If it was fed properly, then it was a patsy, because I highly doubt a wellfed, nonvenomous snake would strangle a sleeping, supine or prone person, let alone TWO, for the hell of it.


We'll know for sure when the boys' autopsies come out.

I agree with juniper jupiter. I was just going to make the same statement, but she beat me to the punch!

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juniper jupiter
If it was fed properly, then it was a patsy, because I highly doubt a wellfed, nonvenomous snake would strangle a sleeping, supine or prone person, let alone TWO, for the hell of it.


We'll know for sure when the boys' autopsies come out.

I don't understand it myself, but I suppose it's possible that the snake was just reacting to instinct.

ETA: It's also a possibility that the snake was properly fed over its lifespan, but was hungry when it escaped.

something is rotten in denmark...
how the hell could one snake, even that size, kill two kids. at the same time. I don't buy the story one bit.

two cents ¢¢

CERTIFIED HOSEHEAD!!!

people (especially women) do not give ONE DAMN about what they inflict on children and I defy anyone to prove me wrong

Dysfunctional relationships almost always have a child. The more dysfunctional, the more children.

The selfish wants of adults outweigh the needs of the child.

Some mistakes cannot be fixed, but some mistakes can be 'fixed'.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. Leo J. Burke

Adoption agencies have strict criteria (usually). Breeders, whose combined IQ's would barely hit triple digits, have none.

The national news just released a statement that the family is going to hold a candle vigil for the boys.

Yeah, a fucking vigil warrants a "breaking" news storyeyes2

And I agree, I think something doesn't seem right about this entire thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~
I miss my little feather baby.

Admittedly I know very little about snakes other than they're shaped like a stick and one end bites, but would a snake strangle someone? I've heard of them wrapping themselves around a person and squeezing them to death, but I always pictured it as wrapping around their torsos, not necks. Surely it couldn't have strangled one kid then moved into the next and strangled him too, perhaps it wrapped around both at the same time.

What I don't understand is why didn't the snake after strangling one of the boys try to eat it? I don't think it could constrict both of them at the same time. Sounds like a double PNA to me.

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mr. neptune
What I don't understand is why didn't the snake after strangling one of the boys try to eat it? I don't think it could constrict both of them at the same time. Sounds like a double PNA to me.

I'm starting to think that the snake was the fall-guy for a PNA as well, mr. neptune. It's altogether possible that someone had strangled the boys, released the snake into the house and then claimed that he did it.

How COULD a twenty foot python strangle two kyds at once? Is it possible for one snake to strangle two people at the same time? If it wasn't at the same time, wouldn't one kyd actually wake up and realize the other was being strangled and get help? I suppose it could be very silent, but still...something doesn't sound right the more I think about it.

According to what I heard on the news, the autopsy on the python revealed that it wasn't starving. That does make it even more suspcious IMO. It had no need to go off and simply kill if it wasn't hungry.

Ugh. Just ugh. I am so tired of these stories, they make me so angry.
For one thing...well, this goes for anyone, African rock pythons don't make good pets. If you're going to keep a giant snake, Burmese pythons are gentler in temperament and a lot more chill. But that's just me.

That aside? Yeahhh there's definitely something rotten in this article. I totally lean towards PNA and just blaming the snake because it's so easy to blame giant snakes, especially because people *always* freak out and want to go YES GIANT SNAKE BAD SCARY EAT PEOPLE.
Snakes do wrap around torsos, not necks. I have a ball python, and yes granted he's just a small python (3 1/2 feet, he eats small rats), but he grabs the rat by the head and wraps his coils around the body. Happens same with giant snakes. Only time I've heard of a snake killing someone by wrapping around their neck is when really drunk people put pythons around their neck and pass out. But one should not be handling snake while drunk. My python sometimes gets too clingy but, being sober, I can unwrap him before he accidentally squeezes too tight. (he also isn't doing it because he wants to eat me, but because I am just a giant warm thing).

But no way even an African rock python could kill two people at once.
Very suspicious business. Always easy to blame giant snakes when it's just a PNA.

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twocents
something is rotten in denmark...
how the hell could one snake, even that size, kill two kids. at the same time. I don't buy the story one bit.

That was my mother's first reaction as well, and I agree, something is definitely fishy about this...

I seems weird that the snake would or could wrap around two kids in bed and kill them without either making a sound. I wonder if it was a PNA on the part of the father who could not get the ex to abort

PNA death by "snake". Lil constrictors anyone?

Hey, guess what? Looks like the snake wasn't responsible at all. Preliminary reports are saying it might have been carbon monoxide.

It's such complete shit. The owner of the store said himself the kids looked like they were asleep; no wounds, no signs of trauma, nothing. If a snake that size had strangled the kids, there would have been contusions, bruises, possibly broken bones. Those kids would NOT have looked "asleep".

So a beautiful animal was killed for nothing. And people are still screaming about a ban on reptiles. Fuck that. Nobody's taking my babies away from me.

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mumofsixbirds
This story has been all over the news. People are calling for more restrictions and penalties, but there already ARE restrictions for owning such pets in Canada. Even the Vancouver Aquarium has to have specialized licensing to keep dangerous animals such as these particular snakes.

The snake was euthenized, and it was fed properly according to the autopsy. It wasn't starving. I figure that it was insufficiently housed, and finally managed to escape. I don't blame the snake one bit. How in the hell do you even house a 20 foot snake? It was probably cramped and suffering. These animals belong in the WILD, not in an apartment, house or pet store.

I feel terrible that these kyds had to die this way because of another person's negligence. I feel sad for the snake too, because it was just doing what pythons do.

Maybe they should restrict kids living over pet stores instead. Why should the pets have to suffer for what they do naturally?

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canadiandragons
Hey, guess what? Looks like the snake wasn't responsible at all. Preliminary reports are saying it might have been carbon monoxide.

It's such complete shit. The owner of the store said himself the kids looked like they were asleep; no wounds, no signs of trauma, nothing. If a snake that size had strangled the kids, there would have been contusions, bruises, possibly broken bones. Those kids would NOT have looked "asleep".

So a beautiful animal was killed for nothing. And people are still screaming about a ban on reptiles. Fuck that. Nobody's taking my babies away from me.

Yeah, because, you know, parents exotic animals killing small children is such a common occurrence

http://www.fox.com.au/fox-news-feed/2013/8/snake-deaths-now-a-murder-investigation/

altogether now: NO SHIT

Love seeing all the herpers call "no shit" with as much enthusiasm. Because seriously.

Two thoughts.

One, the python was being a python (a predator) and the kids were being kids (stupid). That was not going to end well for either party.

Two, pillows still work.

I do have my beef with people who import exotic "pets" then turn them loose, or keep them in cages where they can escape. The burmese python is a real problem in the Everglades, as are monitor lizards. Neither is native to Florida and both have been allowed to escape and populate and are now threatening the native wildlife (pythons can and do kill and eat alligators). The same can be said about tilapia, piranhas, paccus, etc. Let them live where they live and don't take them to other environments. It works the other way, too. Don't introduce mountain lions to the Andes or grizzly bears to the Black Forest!

.

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elaphe_guttata
http://www.fox.com.au/fox-news-feed/2013/8/snake-deaths-now-a-murder-investigation/

altogether now: NO SHIT

Love seeing all the herpers call "no shit" with as much enthusiasm. Because seriously.

No shit, indeed...and I'm merely a ball python mom.

I am seriously pissed that the authorities killed the snake right after the incident, even though it was safely contained.
My suspicions about the kids' death were triggered as soon as I read the first article, immediately after the incident.

I knew there was something weird about this! Poor python.

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i hope someone really looked at those kids real close: wouldn't forensics, GOOD unbiased forensics determine just what or who strangled them. hands would leave telltale marks. not sure what a snake would leave.
I still call 'bs'

btw, I think the manslaughter or murder is against the snake owner.

two cents ¢¢

CERTIFIED HOSEHEAD!!!

people (especially women) do not give ONE DAMN about what they inflict on children and I defy anyone to prove me wrong

Dysfunctional relationships almost always have a child. The more dysfunctional, the more children.

The selfish wants of adults outweigh the needs of the child.

Some mistakes cannot be fixed, but some mistakes can be 'fixed'.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one. Leo J. Burke

Adoption agencies have strict criteria (usually). Breeders, whose combined IQ's would barely hit triple digits, have none.