Child killed by burm in Fla. - New ammo for the anti-herp people

[TrpnBils]

12-Foot Python Strangles Toddler - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando

OXFORD, Fla. -- A man woke up Wednesday morning and found his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter being strangled by his 12-foot pet Burmese python, according to Sumter County sheriff's officials.

The fatal incident occurred at about 10 a.m. at a residence in the 1500 block of county Road 466 in Oxford, which is located about 60 miles northwest of Orlando.

The snake apparently escaped from its cage overnight and strangled the girl, who was also bitten on the forehead, Sumter County sheriff's deputies said. Charles Darnell, who owns the snake, stabbed the animal, which was wrapped around the girl's neck, and pulled the girl away before calling 911, deputies said.

Emergency workers could not revive the girl. The medical examiner was called to the Sumter County house, and an investigation into the death is ongoing.

Darnell also owns a boa constrictor, and the snakes have not been removed from the house, deputies said.

The 2-year-old girl's mother, Jaren Hare, was also inside the home at the time of the incident, deputies said.

Matt Harrison, a Critter Control employee who has worked with pythons for more than eight years, said the animals are extremely strong.

"A 12-foot snake is kind of like having a truck sitting on your chest. They have enough power not only to asphyxiate you, but to break bones as well," said Harrison, who added that stabbing a python would not force the animal to release its prey.

Harrison suggested throwing alcohol down the snake's throat or running hot water over it to get it to release its prey.

Harrison urged owners to be careful with pet pythons.

"Most (of) the time, as long as you're careful, you don't have anything to worry about, but occasionally, they can turn on their owners," Harrison said.

Harrison said attacks tend to be a feeding response, but he said it is important to keep cages secure and safe, especially when there are children in the house.

Harrison speculated that there are probably more pythons in Florida than anywhere else in the United States.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, pythons are a nonnative species to Florida, although some Burmese pythons have been found in parts of Florida.

An invasion of giant Burmese pythons in South Florida that made national headlines last year was "rapidly expanding" and expected to reach Central Florida, according to a University of Florida study.

"There's no part of this state that you can point at and say that pythons couldn't live here," researcher Frank Mazzotti said. "They're capable of incredible movement -- and in a relatively short period."

Most of the pythons were brought over as pets and then turned loose in the wild, he said.

Anyone who comes across a python is urged to call wildlife officials at 888-404-FWCC.

[Sakara]

heard about this on the news.... The owners are freakin stupid... That snake NEVER should have been allowed near that child, let alone be able to get out of it's cage and have access to the child by it's own will... This is the type of crap that gets the rest of us in trouble... Stupid freakin' irresponsible ppl... That snake should have been under lock and key with no way out on it's own....

I was enraged about this when I saw it on the TV... I was at physical therapy and I started raging... All the ppl there know I have snakes and were like O.O .... don't u have a snake like that?? I said "yea, but I'm not stupid enough to let it out with my kid and I have a lock on the cage where it can't get out"

[KyleZ]

I just came across a different version of this article a few minutes ago. Snake escaped from a screen-top fish tank and is now "missing."

As long as there are people out there who are irresponsible enough to keep these animals this way, let alone the child-endangerment of leaving a 2-year old unattended for who-knows-how-long, this hobby will be doomed. This makes me ill.

[louise]

this sure helps our cause on not getting large constrictors banned

[nickireson]

I dont really think I have anything to say that everyone else on here isn't already thinking, but R.I.P to that poor little girl....
Wonder if the owner will face any type of charges?

[Sakara]

I hope they do... If nothing happens to the owners of the snake then that's pretty much like telling anyone that if they want someone dead, just let the animal take care of it -_-

I'm NOT saying they wanted ANYTHING to happen to that little girl... But with a 2 year old in the house... A large snake in an unlocked enclosure is BEGGING for a problem

[KyleZ]

Originally Posted by nickireson

I dont really think I have anything to say that everyone else on here isn't already thinking, but R.I.P to that poor little girl....
Wonder if the owner will face any type of charges?

I really hope the snake's "keeper" does face charges. This is a horrible tragedy that stems from pure irresponsibility. I just fear that this will now be the straw that breaks the camel's back with these python ban bills in the works. I'm sure it will be trumpeted as reason #1 why no one will be allowed to keep these animals. Lord help those of us who have these snakes in our families, and care for them responsibly.

[kaotik94]

10-12ft Burm in a glass aqaurium? Thats a No No

I am wondering if the owner had a Permit to keep his Burm? I know FL requires you to have a permit to own a large BOID.

[snakehooked]

Well they might as well ban a whole bunch of stuff that happens to be dangerous. Like scissors, thumbtacks, lava lamps and fried chicken. There will always be that blankety irresponsible person out there that seems destined to ruin it for everyone else. Poor kid, why are they the ones that have to pay the price for bad parents....

[nickireson]

Originally Posted by kaotik94

10-12ft Burm in a glass aqaurium? Thats a No No

I am wondering if the owner had a Permit to keep his Burm? I know FL requires you to have a permit to own a large BOID.

Yes they do, and if I was told correctly, many people are made to have their snakes chipped, I think its so if the snake is found in the wild, the registered owner will face reprocussions (sp)?

[snakehooked]

Originally Posted by kaotik94

10-12ft Burm in a glass aqaurium? Thats a No No

I am wondering if the owner had a Permit to keep his Burm? I know FL requires you to have a permit to own a large BOID.

Yes you have to have a Reptiles Of Concern (ROC) permit to own a Burm, Retic afrock or Amethystine or Nile monitor. It's $100 a year plus paperwork plus FWC coming into your house an approving the enclosure plus having the animal microchipped permit. Somehow I doubt all was in order with that burm if it was kept in a tank, FWC wouldn't have issued a permit....

Sorry for ranting...again.

[Sakara]

^^^ well then I hope they get fined and/or jail

[Icicle]

Such a shame Poor little girl.
And I'm also going to bite my tounge to prevent any infractions or banning on my part.

[BlackLava]

the link says the owner did NOT have a permit for the burm. i sure hope he faces some type of criminal charges. keeping an 8.5ft burm in a tank with a screen lid is just plain STUPID. no clamps or weights or anything can hold in a burm of that size, never ever.

[strikerratt]

Sumter Sheriff: child strangled by snake

[Sakara]

hopefully the adults go to jail -_- stupid crap...

[AGActaeonia]

Originally Posted by louise

this sure helps our cause on not getting large constrictors banned

My sentiments exactly.

That it was a Burm only throws more gas on the fires set by the politicians. No good...

[nitram]

"The Humane Society of the United States said including Wednesday's death, at least 12 people have been killed in the U.S. by pet pythons since 1980, including five children." This is what FoxNews report states.

It's kind of an unfair statistic when you think about it:

How many dogs owned by irresponsible owners have killed people since 1980?

If snake owners aren't more responsible (myself included) in general, we're asking for a ban. That's how they got pittbulls in Miami-Dade.

People die all the time, by many different animals or things. Especially those around the more stupid ones. Directing blame on the animal and not the keeper of the animal is an ignorant one-sided conservative decision.

[ilovemylizard]

So tragic that the girl lost her life


How utterly :censored: irresponsible, keeping a Burmese of that size, in a 'bag in an aquarium' .


If we had any chance of surviving future versions of HR669, I think sadly it went out the window with this one...we may realize the parents are at fault, but unfortunately no one else will care...the only thing they will see, is all the "dangerous, lethal" reptiles being kept by us...that some may have boa constrictors, other small boa species, ball pythons, even giants caged/handled correctly, etc. will never even be considered....

Lovely how all the articles say "pet python", "python", instead of identifying the exact species...I've already had a few people today ask me whether my 'boa pythons' are kept locked up...grrrrrr...I really hate catching trouble for other people's monumental stupidity....

[KyleZ]

Originally Posted by nitram

Directing blame on the animal and not the keeper of the animal is an ignorant one-sided conservative decision.

It's actually the opposite. It's a blanket liberal nanny-state action to try and impose a government control over individual's rights to responsibly keep certain types of pets. Just check out who sponsors all the python bans in the works in our gov't, as opposed to those who are against it, and for individual rights.