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Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by Cro on August 25, 2008
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A COLLEGE student working the night shift at a Venezuelan zoo is dead after letting a three-metre python out of its enclosure.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24242608-23109,00.html
Best Regards John Z
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RE: Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by Crotalusssp on August 25, 2008
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Very little details given. I would assume it was a Reticulated Python. Three meters is about, what 9 feet? I have often tried to tell people that large constrictors are similar to hots, in that experience and advice from a mentor is a must to help ensure safety. I really do not even like to see large Boa constrictors (5+ feet) in the hands of inexperienced keepers. They will not kill anyone at 5 feet, but a feeding response bite can be very nasty. I speak from experience, LOL.
Charles
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RE: Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by constrictorfreak on August 25, 2008
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Where was his back up handler , If i can avoid it , i won't handle anything over 6 ft by myself . i think i am going to do a little research on this . I'm curious about exactly what all happened . This is why we say 2 are better & safer than one . Best regards to all . Stacy Adams
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RE: Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by FSB on August 25, 2008
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I posted this earlier on the "feeding Multiple Rattlers" thread that has been sufficiently flogged to death, and then I saw this and decided that the story actually fits better here. It was related to me long ago by Bela Demeter, curator of reptiles at the National Zoo, and involved a guy who went to feed two very large (15-19 ft) burmese pythons that were housed in the same cage. He carried two large rabbits with him, and in order to free up a hand so he could open the cage he... guess what?... stuffed one of the rabbits under his chin. When he lifted the lid, one of the snakes lunged out and grabbed the rabbit that was under the his chin and, well, did what big pythons do. Large constrictors can be even more dangerous than venomous snakes - in such cases, there is no help in the form of AV, and the victim doesn't even make it to a hospital.
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RE: Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by toddg on August 26, 2008
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To me, a ten foot python is a "little guy". I find it difficult to fathom that someone over the age of 5 was killed by one.
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RE: Python Kills Zoo Keeper
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by Rob_Carmichael on August 26, 2008
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Little, perhaps, but a 10' retic wrapped around your neck can put you out in a millisecond if it hits the right spot/area. To underestimate their strength is asking for disaster. Something catastrophic happened and my guess is that this snake got around the neck of the keeper so quickly that by the time he reacted, he blacked out and the retic/constrictor continued to constrict. I'm sure more info will come....either way, it's a real tragedy that someone who loved reptiles had their life taken by one.
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by Crotalusssp on August 27, 2008
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For experienced keepers 10 feet is ordinarily easily manageable. However a 10 footer that "gets the upper hand" for whatever reason, is a danger, and as Rob stated can easily injure or kill a grown man. Sadly this was a mistake made by either an inexperienced keeper or one that was caught off guard. Ten foot retics are not nippy little racers or water snakes and caution/experience should be had by those individuals handling them.
Charles
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by toddg on August 27, 2008
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Fisrt of all, the article doesn't mention anything about a retic. Second, a 10 ft. retic will typically weigh aprox. 20 to 30 lbs. (unless said snake has a weight problem). Third, if you approached me while I was sleeping, wrapped a ten foot retic around my neck, and pissed her off, I might have some er... uh... some difficulty. I keep pythons, (some much larger than ten feet) and at ten feet, there are more dangerous contrictors than retics, but nothinig I would consider life threatening to an averige adult male. Keep in mind, Aten foot python is not half the size of a twenty footer of the same species. A twenty foot retic can exceed 200 lbs. in captivity, certainly a life threatening animal. A ten footer will weigh roughly one tenth that!
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by constrictorfreak on August 27, 2008
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I can manage specimens in excess of ten ft . by myself , but we are still dealing with wild animals here , still there should have been a second keeper . Safety first , before showing off !
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by iLuVeNoM on August 27, 2008
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You just never know until all the facts appear. The snake could have simply startled the guy and he hit his head on something, or bit him and he passes out at the sight of blood, or......?
You get the point. I'm looking forward to more updates on this news piece. It does seem spectacular that a grown adult male couldn't wrestle a 30-60 lb animal to save his own life. Very interesting.
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