Canada - Connor, 6, & Noah Barthe, 4, killed by python, Campbellton, NB, 5 Aug 2013

[Hamsterdance]

“This is definitely a case of mistaken identity for the snake because the children had visited the farm,” said Loyst. “The snake escaped and bit and constricted the children, obviously because it thought they were food.”
From http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2..._animals_from_building_where_2_boys_died.html

Just returned from school and catching up. So there were bite marks (as mentioned by other posters above as well). Guess I was wrong, and it was the snake afterall. I still think that guy is very responsible for allowing this to happen, and I do expect some types of charges.

Also according to the article, other zoos are being asked to accept the remaining critters, so it sounds like the whole place is shut down.

 

[Ausgirl]

Well, this is a concern I have actually - some of the animals he'd kept without proper permits were thrown his way by local authorities who didn't apparently know what else to do with them, including a croc sent to them to by --post-- a few years back (really..jeez), and the python which killed the boys.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2002/06/28/crocodile_020628.html

Not to mention his store checked out just fine with the deputy mayor a couple years back - all hunky dory there. Despite an apparently quite lengthy list of critters kept without proper permits. My sense is there -will- be *advertiser censored*-covering.

So what worries me is - there might be concerns among local Govt about all this getting questioned during a high profile trial.

"Where'd the snake come from" - for instance.

Anyway, however many people did the wrong thing leading up to this tragedy, and whatever excuses are made for them, the result of it all is the loss of two truly beautiful kids and the death of a magnificent animal that truly knew no better.

 

[nao]

http://www.whig.com/story/23066847/vigil-set-for-2-canada-boys-strangled-by-python

"Once they are in constricting mode, any part of their body that is touching something that moves, they'll wrap it," he said. "I've seen snakes with two different prey items at the same time, one with the back of the body and one with the front. It could have been an incident like that."

 

[Hamsterdance]

In large part because this event scares the heck out of many reptile keepers. They are afraid their own animals may be outlawed or seized.

So true. It is a shame that all it takes is one irresponsible owner to cause a blanket reaction that affects many responsible owners. Many of the Canadian online papers I read have had polls about it:

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/2.892 #TalkBackTO

"Do you think municipalities should invoke a total ban on snakes as pets?

Yes 800 (86 %)

No 128 (14 %)"

http://www.cp24.com/ Todays poll- link will archive tomorrow

"TODAY'S QUESTION

Should people be allowed to keep exotic snakes as pets?

Yes 203 (11 %)

No 1572 (89 %)

Total number of votes: 1775"

I don't have links offhand, but I do know that this WILL cause policies to be revisited. On the plus side, I hope it cracks down on irresponsible people like Savoie who never should have them in the first place, but I hope it doesn't go overboard to the extreme.

 

[Sonya610]

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/24/1037697985131.html

A six-metre African rock python has eaten a boy near Durban - the first recorded "man-eating" incident for the species

November 25 2002

Wow. Great find. Amazing that the snake was able to swallow a 10 year old head first. I wonder how she dealt with the shoulders? Maybe she managed to get the right angle.

 

[Snoods]

So these two tykes were killed by asphyxiation according to the preliminary autopsy report. I have so many questions! How at least one of the boys was not able to scream or run and get help is so confusing. It looks like a fairly small apartment, how was nothing heard by the man or his son? And other posters have questioned why the boys weren't sleeping with their friend, and I wonder this too. Anyway, so tragic all the way around.

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/07/boys-killed-by-python-snake_n_3721192.html

 

[Solitaryone]

Well, this is a concern I have actually - some of the animals he'd kept without proper permits were thrown his way by local authorities who didn't apparently know what else to do with them, including a croc sent to them to by --post-- a few years back (really..jeez), and the python which killed the boys.

Not to mention his store checked out just fine with the deputy mayor a couple years back - all hunky dory there. Despite an apparently quite lengthy list of critters kept without proper permits. My sense is there -will- be *advertiser censored*-covering.

So what worries me is - there might be concerns among local Govt about all this getting questioned during a high profile trial.

"Where'd the snake come from" - for instance.

Anyway, however many people did the wrong thing leading up to this tragedy, and whatever excuses are made for them, the result of it all is the loss of two truly beautiful kids and the death of a magnificent animal that truly knew no better.

I was thinking the same last night when in one of the news articles reported that this snake was given to Savoie by local authorities and that bit about the deputy mayor. I just hope that the public holds the local authorities who gave Savoie this snake as well as any other reptiles he should not have had to begin with responsible. Let the *advertiser censored* covering begin! Oh, it probably already has!

 

[matou]

The Dept. of Natural Resources issued a statement on Wednesday, denying it had given the snake to Savoie in 2002.

“A former Reptile Ocean store employee has indicated to some media outlets that DNR delivered the African rock python to Reptile Ocean back in 2002. This is totally incorrect,” spokesperson Anne Bull said.

“According to our records, we have never had any involvement with this snake or a crocodile. We did not deliver it to the individual. In fact, we had no knowledge of the existence of this African rock python prior to this week’s tragedy,” she said.

Bull said the department has since learned an agency associated with Environment Canada took the snake to Savoie’s store at that time.

http://globalnews.ca/news/767303/two-boys-killed-by-python-died-from-asphyxiation-rcmp/

 

[Steely Dan]

In large part because this event scares the heck out of many reptile keepers. They are afraid their own animals may be outlawed or seized.

Laws are made to protect us from the lowest common denominator. I can drive a car 90mph safely on the highway, but I have to obey a 65 or 55mph speed limit because some llaimos can't control their cars at even those speeds.

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/11/24/1037697985131.html

A six-metre African rock python has eaten a boy near Durban - the first recorded "man-eating" incident for the species

November 25 2002

:scared: :runaway:

 

[matou]

A reptile experts said RCMP told him the snake had almost escaped before.

Bryn Loyst, of the Indian River Reptile Zoo near Peterbourough, Ont., said he was told the python made it’s way partially into the vent, but was pulled back into its enclosure before it could get out.

RCMP would neither confirm nor deny the claim when asked by Global News.

http://globalnews.ca/news/767303/two-boys-killed-by-python-died-from-asphyxiation-rcmp/

 

[nao]

jmo - one of the reasons for keeping snakes in your living area is soo you can keep an eye on them, so they don't escape(or you can find them quick if they have) At one time i had 5 snakes in a display case-2 were professional escapees, but the other 3 never tried, even when the case was open.
Florida has an issue with pythons, i think they had hunt recently. But there are not warnings about man eating snakes. It is really just not a snake thing to attack humans.

 

[Sonya610]

Laws are made to protect us from the lowest common denominator. I can drive a car 90mph safely on the highway, but I have to obey a 65 or 55mph speed limit because some llaimos can't control their cars at even those speeds.

Yeah and the costs incurred by insurance companies as well as the hospital bills paid for by the government had a HUGE influence on that!

Hamsterdance posted a poll saying 89% of people thought ALL snakes should be banned. My little guy would have a hard time swallowing my pinkie finger yet HE should be banned too? Cause having him is like driving 90 mph on the highway?

Especially when there are likely hundreds of thousands of his brethren living wild in Georgia?

jmo - one of the reasons for keeping snakes in your living area is soo you can keep an eye on them, so they don't escape(or you can find them quick if they have) At one time i had 5 snakes in a display case-2 were professional escapees, but the other 3 never tried, even when the case was open.

Well also if you keep pets you generally want to be CLOSE to them, otherwise don't keep pets. My snakes enjoy watching the household activities just as much as I enjoy watching them. They may be captive but they are curious and they like the visual stimulation.

 

[wfgodot]

Polls posted in the wake of disasters will always skewer heavily toward banning the perceived cause, regardless of whether it remains a clear and present danger.

 

[Shlock Homes]

I'm someone who is having trouble believing that the snake killed the boys. Nowhere do they say the boys were bitten, by the way. The assumption they smelled like animals from a zoo was made by someone who is not connected to the case.
One thing that isn't being mentioned anymore in the media is the fact the boys were with the son of the owner in that same room, but at some point, the son went to his father's room to sleep. And I guess neither of them heard any crashing or commotion from the snake 'crashing' through the ceiling.
Another thing that snake experts are saying is that it's odd this snake would have killed its prey, but not attempted to eat it, and then killed another one. Either way, how did one boy sleep through the killing of his brother? And if there was any commotion or screaming, why didn't anyone hear it in the other room.
At this point they said the boys died of asphyxiation, which just means air could not pass into their lungs. The snake would have had to compress or crush their torsos to cause this, as they do not strangle at the neck. So there would be telltale marks from this. If it was death by another method, like smothering, then I guess we'll find out.
At this point, I am having difficulty believing that the alleged sequence of events occurred to cause the death of the boys. Something doesn't add up.

 

[TrackerSam]

I'm someone who is having trouble believing that the snake killed the boys. If it was death by another method, like smothering, then I guess we'll find out.
At this point, I am having difficulty believing that the alleged sequence of events occurred to cause the death of the boys. Something doesn't add up.

:waitasec: :notgood: First it was an escaped snake from a zoo. Now it's a family pet?

 

[Sonya610]

For the new folks that haven't read the whole thread....yeah it does seem the kids had bite wounds based on autopsy and yeah they were likely taken by the snake. Pretty amazing feat by the snake imo.

How all of it happened without the adult waking up....now that is still a mystery. Loud music while entertaining "guests"???

 

[QueenD]

I was thinking maybe the snake had 1 boy and the other woke up and tried to flee the brother from the snake and that is when the snake got him too.

 

[Steely Dan]

Yeah and the costs incurred by insurance companies as well as the hospital bills paid for by the government had a HUGE influence on that!

Hamsterdance posted a poll saying 89% of people thought ALL snakes should be banned. My little guy would have a hard time swallowing my pinkie finger yet HE should be banned too? Cause having him is like driving 90 mph on the highway?

Especially when there are likely hundreds of thousands of his brethren living wild in Georgia?



Well also if you keep pets you generally want to be CLOSE to them, otherwise don't keep pets. My snakes enjoy watching the household activities just as much as I enjoy watching them. They may be captive but they are curious and they like the visual stimulation.

Sorry, I was referring to dangerous animals and dangerous activities. JMO

 

[airplanelamp]

Folks, I am trying to go back through the thread, but can anyone help me out....I am looking for:

-the link about the snake having previously escaped
-the link about the snake enclosure being part of a glass room divider type set up
-the link about the snake enclosure and upstairs having been converted from part of the "zoo" to an apt.

TIA

 

[Steely Dan]

Folks, I am trying to go back through the thread, but can anyone help me out....I am looking for:

-the link about the snake having previously escaped
-the link about the snake enclosure being part of a glass room divider type set up
-the link about the snake enclosure and upstairs having been converted from part of the "zoo" to an apt.

TIA

Here's the link to the snake escaping before; http://www.660news.com/2013/08/07/python-believed-to-have-killed-2-boys-had-escaped-before-report/