python kills two young children in Canada

[xdivision_whitey]

An escaped python killed two children in their sleep in eastern Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Monday.

The two young boys, aged five and seven, were sleeping in at a friend's apartment late Sunday in the small town of Campbellton when they were surprised by the snake.

It had escaped from a pet store that specialized in exotic animals located on the ground floor of the building.

"The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment," police said in a statement.

"It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The python had been recaptured and was being held by police, the statement added.


Wish they banned these animals from being owned.

[thewaitingtree]

HOLY burning_eyes

That's the creepiest story ever! Ugh.

Why isn't there some zoning rule in place to keep residential and exotic pet/animal buildings separate?

[CuteMinta]

D: Oh gosh those poor boys! So very sad,ugh that is just awful!

[Kai-Shan Valandria]

No, pythons are not "exotic animals that should be banned." The escape was an unfortunate accident with tragic consequences, but at the same time, it's pretty silly to choose an apartment right above an exotic pet store. I sure wouldn't, due to risk of escape, noise, and possible smells. Having a permit program or registering large snakes (like with dogs), cool, but no banning. Also make it illegal to turn them loose, so we don't end up with problems like there are in the Everglades.

I'm also curious how both got strangled at once.

edit: Much better article. I agree, this doesn't add up.

Sadly, in a bid to SAVE DA CHUUULDRUUUN:

Quote:

Deputy Mayor Ian Comeau expressed sorrow over the accident and noted that there had been opposition to the presence of the exotic pet store in the town.

He pledged that the city ordinance that allowed it would immediately come under review.

edit: 2: Here's another one. The snake was the guy's personal pet, and he runs an exotic reptile store. Attacks by snakes like this on humans are extremely rare, and I eagerly await autopsy results.

[Eisefin]

Why would you wish the animals would be banned from being owned? It was no fault of the snake. Most people do not realize a snake of that size can easily pop off the glass front of its terrarium. Banning the ownership of the animals won’t stop people from owning them. People will go through illegal means to own them, which by then would only be a problem for the animal itself.

What people need to do is properly educate others on safe handling and care of exotics and pet stores need to have secure enclosures.

It’s unfortunate that this happened, but don’t turn to banning their ownership right off the bat. That’s not fair.

[Pho Far East]

Wow what a tragic thing to happen.

[Blood Valkyrie]

I saw this on TV. A snake expert said that this sort of thing is rare with pythons. This is because most owners care enough to FEED the snakes and keep them secure. When a pet python is fed and kept happy, it has no reason to get aggressive. Clearly, this owner forgot that pet snakes need food and to be kept in a secure place.

[zenie250]

YES TRUE BUT STILL THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A BUILDING THAT HAS THAT BIG OF ANIMALS IN IT WITH AN APARTMENT BUILDING.

[Dostya]

Well, to be fair he should probably lose his license to run an exotic pet store. So that's two problems solved.

[TADspace]

There's a lot of BS several of the articles for this story.

One being that a "snake expert" stated that snakes "size up" their meals by laying next to them, which is why the boys died. (This is bull and if you hear someone state this; yell at them.)

Some articles are stating the ceiling collapsed and killed the boys, and the snake was there by chance.

Also; "banning" animals from being owned is stupid. Just because one moron can't properly care for his snake, doesn't mean the rest us shouldn't be able to own one. It would be like banning everyone from being able to drive just because there are unsafe drivers.

[Malee]

So the snake manages to bust outta its locked cage, slither up a likely smooth ventilation shaft, bust a hole through the ceiling right over the sleeping boys without causing any noise and than strangle both of them at the same time....

That's no snake, its a super villain of snakes.

[xdivision_whitey]

Malee

So the snake manages to bust outta its locked cage, slither up a likely smooth ventilation shaft, bust a hole through the ceiling right over the sleeping boys without causing any noise and than strangle both of them at the same time....

That's no snake, its a super villain of snakes.

Many kids are hard sleepers. My brother wouldn't wake up till you dumped him into the shower... insert cold water.

[Jinglybell]

Eisefin

Why would you wish the animals would be banned from being owned? It was no fault of the snake. Most people do not realize a snake of that size can easily pop off the glass front of its terrarium. Banning the ownership of the animals won’t stop people from owning them. People will go through illegal means to own them, which by then would only be a problem for the animal itself.

What people need to do is properly educate others on safe handling and care of exotics and pet stores need to have secure enclosures.

It’s unfortunate that this happened, but don’t turn to banning their ownership right off the bat. That’s not fair.

I think its more then fair. Pythons should have been banned. They far too often get larger then people are prepared for and released into the wild where they wreak havoc on the native animals. In the south they are becoming a big problem. There are bans on other animals in states for being invasive. For example Monk parrots.


Here is the wiki article explaining why they are such a pest species. You cant own for example walking catfish/silver carp either. I dont see anyone complaining about that.

[Eisefin]

Jinglybell

Eisefin

Why would you wish the animals would be banned from being owned? It was no fault of the snake. Most people do not realize a snake of that size can easily pop off the glass front of its terrarium. Banning the ownership of the animals won’t stop people from owning them. People will go through illegal means to own them, which by then would only be a problem for the animal itself.

What people need to do is properly educate others on safe handling and care of exotics and pet stores need to have secure enclosures.

It’s unfortunate that this happened, but don’t turn to banning their ownership right off the bat. That’s not fair.

I think its more then fair. Pythons should have been banned. They far too often get larger then people are prepared for and released into the wild where they wreak havoc on the native animals. In the south they are becoming a big problem. There are bans on other animals in states for being invasive. For example Monk parrots.

Just because you cannot handle them and there are neglectful pet owners out there does not mean it should be ruined for the rest of us. There are plenty of dog and cat breeds I believe should not be owned by certain people, deaths and injuries having occurred from their neglected care, but do I go out and adamantly say that the breeds themselves should be outlawed? Heck no. neutral

[Jinglybell]

Eisefin

Jinglybell

Eisefin

Why would you wish the animals would be banned from being owned? It was no fault of the snake. Most people do not realize a snake of that size can easily pop off the glass front of its terrarium. Banning the ownership of the animals won’t stop people from owning them. People will go through illegal means to own them, which by then would only be a problem for the animal itself.

What people need to do is properly educate others on safe handling and care of exotics and pet stores need to have secure enclosures.

It’s unfortunate that this happened, but don’t turn to banning their ownership right off the bat. That’s not fair.

I think its more then fair. Pythons should have been banned. They far too often get larger then people are prepared for and released into the wild where they wreak havoc on the native animals. In the south they are becoming a big problem. There are bans on other animals in states for being invasive. For example Monk parrots.

Just because you cannot handle them and there are neglectful pet owners out there does not mean it should be ruined for the rest of us. There are plenty of dog and cat breeds I believe should not be owned by certain people, deaths and injuries having occurred from their neglected care, but do I go out and adamantly say that the breeds themselves should be outlawed? Heck no. neutral

Please read the wikipedia article. They are an invasive species. If one POS owned a pitbull that murdered someone and it got out, it would more then likely be dealt with. A lot of people treat things like reptiles/fish more nonchalantly and just release them in the wild where its a problem. Like the aforementioned Silver carp, snakehead fish and walking catfish. Do you think people should be able to keep them?
I think the ban on keeping raccoons/skunks/ferrets in many states is more unreasonable then a ban on large predator snakes.

It is Canada though so I guess the snakes would probably die off easier then they do in USA. (due to the colder weather)