Python bites kid, what do you think of this?

[Kathy]

I have to agree that the kids should have been nowhere near the head. I think this is going to be a hard, and costly, lesson for them to learn. My issue is whether they should be sued since the kid is not traumatized and did not receive stitches. The news totally blew out of proportion what happened, as always to make things sound so dramatic. Pay the medical bills sure, but why go after the snake and their business. But then again I am biased.

 

[dtknow]

I would say the handlers are mostly to blame. Yes, their is a risk-but it should be basically nill when their are kids involved of such a large snake biting a kid. Who would even want to touch it if they were told otherwise?(would you if you were a kid hold a burmese if you were told it might bite?) The parents had their faith in the handlers judgment that the kids actions were very low risk. Truth to be told the handlers fell into a trap that is all to easy to fall into of trusting the animal a bit too much.(she's a doll she'd never hurt a fly) The head of the snake should have been under control of the handler.

I do like that they will be bringing her in for an exam...perhaps the snake has some kind of condition which caused it to experience sudden pain whilst it was being handled(tumor etc.) This was most likely defensive as a feeding response would not have involved multiple bite.

I do hope they don't sue.

 

[VickyChaiTea]

This is one of the nastier side effects of what I've termed the "Disneyfication" of animals-giving all animals humans traits, especially the ability to judge THEIR actions by OUR moral/ethical standards. It's also an inevitable side-effect of the Animal Rights movement. Accountability is an inseparable aspect of having rights; if you do something that is deemed bad or wrong by general consensus, you should be held accountable for your actions, therefore if we are to believe that animals have "rights", it follows logically that they should also be held accountable for their behavior.

Of course I do not believe that, but many people, even those who would not ordinarily consider themselves AR supporters, have been so brainwashed by a combination of AR rhetoric and lack of personal experience with animals due to our increasingly urbanized society, DO believe it. I was raised, along with many rural folk here in the Southern US, to believe that "if it has a mouth, it can bite, and IF you get bitten, first question what YOU did wrong". Basically, animal bites, kicks, scratches, etc., were seen as an inevitable occurance if you chose to live around animals and put yourself in close proximity to them, and for the most part, were seen as evidence that YOU messed up and did something you shouldn't have done, and got bitten as a result. Most people willingly accepted that animals pretty much were instinct-driven, and were not capable of making decisions or choices regarding their own behavior based on any sense of moral right or wrong, and that only humans could be held accountable for things that happened to themselves. If you don't want to take a chance of your kid being bitten by a snake, keep it a respectable distance from the snake. Don't want your kid getting kicked in the head by a horse, make sure he doesn't walk behind the horse. While some of the responsibility here falls on the owners of the snake for not controlling it, allowing its head to be free enough to bite, the parents are also responsible. The snake was simply responding to a stimulus and should not in way be held responsible for just being an animal.

pitbulllady

Quoted for truth! Man, I could not have said it better myself.

On a slightly unrelated note, this is ANOTHER example of a very overweight large snake. Recently I've been seeing so many of them. It stems from being fed too much and not being able to exercise because they aren't kept in large enough enclosures or given enough time to roam. It's all too common.

 

[Dyn]

I thought that snake did look alittle fat as well

 

[Kathy]

I can tell you Shane takes excellent care of, and has a lot of pride in, all of the creatures in his care. Believe me, they roam~~!!!!

 

[Musicwolf]

Definitely the handler's fault, but at the same time - obviously an honest mistake. In a perfect world, they pay for all the medical bills, the kid is fine with minor treatment, and everyone learns a lesson about "wild" animals. Same way I'd feel if it was my own child - - but they all know the potential for ANY animal to bite.

That being said - - I sure hope they don't put the snake down - - that would be tragic.

 

[Bazzgazm]

I can totally forsee this taking the company down. Especially with all the noise surrounding large constrictors...

sucks, but this happens.. hope they have good insurance...

I am a firm believer in if you don't want to get hurt, don't take risks...

i hate seeing people cash in when stuff goes wrong after they chose to do it.
I know the consequences every time i eat taco bell, i keep doing it.. i do not sue them for my bowel irritations... lol

good luck again to the owners and the snake cannot and should not be punished.. sort of like my dog who pooped all over the floor.. we left her in here from 10am till 12pm. what did we expect.....
she is a dog.

 

[Tindalos]

i saw this on a few news stations, as i am from salt lake city.
from what i recall (of course i could be wrong), there was only one handler with the snake at that time.

 

[Ookamii]

Well when i was in 5th grade, a man brought his 12 foot Burm to the school for "carrier day" he had it by the head the entire time and told all of us "it can bite you so do not pet it if you do not want to and do not get any higher then its midsection." he had 2 helpers holding it as well, one around the middle and one at the tail. I always loved reptiles so i was the first kid to walk up and pet it, growing up i was tought slow movements and two fingur rule for ANY animal. So its the parents and the handelers fault the kid got bit, not the snakes fault. the kid prolly moved to fast or something and resulted in the bites. the snake should NOT be terminated because of this.

 

[Kathy]

I don't believe the parents want the snake put down anymore since she has been removed from any future shows. However the snake is still at the vet. She has a mass near the upper end of her intestinal track and they are trying to save her.

 

[Ookamii]

I don't believe the parents want the snake put down anymore since she has been removed from any future shows. However the snake is still at the vet. She has a mass near the upper end of her intestinal track and they are trying to save her.

So there was a medical reason as to the snake biting the kid, one of the kids might have touched it. i hope thay save the snake.

 

[Kathy]

Yeah, they just love her too, her name is Squish and are really worried about her.

 

[Kathy]

Just in case anyone is interested, the snake was constipated and is now doing fine. The boy's wounds healed in two weeks with no scars, and the parents did not sue, they just had to pay the $400 deductible. Good for the snake, and big lesson learned for all.

 

[2bears]

Poor Judgement

This was a case of poor judgement on the part of the handler, something triggered the bite and a snakes only defense is its mouth, the handler used poor judgement puting the snake in that situation.:wall:

2Bears

 

[Musicwolf]

Just in case anyone is interested, the snake was constipated and is now doing fine. The boy's wounds healed in two weeks with no scars, and the parents did not sue, they just had to pay the $400 deductible. Good for the snake, and big lesson learned for all.

Very glad that it worked out this way - - anything less would have been tragic.

 

[txgsxr]

do you even need to ask? i doubt anyone here would be clamoring for the snakes head.

I dont mind, I would rather be at the head then the tail. More control at the head end. lol

This was a case of poor judgement on the part of the handler, something triggered the bite and a snakes only defense is its mouth, the handler used poor judgement puting the snake in that situation.:wall:

2Bears

I agree. After 25 years of working with these amazing animals I have not been hit but twice, and both times I had done something to bring it on.

Something made it bite, could have been something like one of the kids holding to tightly and hurting the snake.

I also agree that there should have been a keeper at the head. They are wild animals and no matter how many times you get by with something, it doesnt mean you always will.

 

[pok2010]

glad all turned out ok, and the snake is fine,

P.s

put your own child in that situation, then its your fault, Take responcibility you silly parent, as for the handler, yes he should have been holding the head, but hey if i were a snake, and i fancied a bite to eat, ima eat ;P

 

[le-thomas]

What if that lady's id threw something at anther person's kid.
Should we put it down?
The kid didn't die or get injured and the snake was being a snake.
If they put the snake down, I'll put them down XD

 

[sbk94]

@Kathy about snake bite

Kathy I agree with you whether or not your biased. Maybe it was 100% fault of the snake owner. Your kid your responsibility. When I was younger I got salmonella from El Pollo Loco and my parents sued for them to cover medical bills. They didn't go on news and say people of America let's shut them down. In other words Sh!T happens. Snakes do NOT know right from wrong. And the parents being parents KNEW what the snake is capable of yeah they didn't expect it but you put your kid out there knowing there was a small % chance something could go wrong. Also most snake bites are on the face hands arms and legs down(due to us using those parts [most] blood rushes through making those parts give off MORE heat) snake being a snake will strike at heat. Therefore if a snake is being a snake how can you think of judging it and putting it down?
Steven

 

[dtknow]

Have to disagree again. The parents put their trust in the handler of the snake.