Pet shop owner had no permit for killer python

This is one of the worst and most bizarre stories I ever heard. As a father, my heart goes out to the parents of those kids. The snake killing both of them in that fashion is so unusual. I grew up with snakes around me all my life, love them, beautiful animals, but the power they hold, must and needs to be respected. A snake is a breathing muscle machine and the bigger they get, example about 60 to 70kg. Once they start to constrict, unless you can secure the head, it's over. Someone was negligent and there may be arrests and really wonder who was at fault and who dropped the ball on this?

Headline is misleading. The owner had no permit because no such permit exists: Ownership of this animal is banned, full stop.

Not sure how some commentators can say they arent sure who was responsible.

Clearly the owner is responsible. You have a dangerous (ie there is a reasonable chance it will kill kids if it has the opportunity) pet then you are responsible for its actions. Dont want to be responsible? Dont own such a pet. You have a choice.

The only mitigating circumstances are that the owner clearly didnt intend this. Its not murder. But it certainly is manslaughter.

Mark - read my sentence again:

reasonable chance it will kill kids if it has the opportunity

Ie is it a carnivorous killer which could reasonably see a small child as prey?

If you keep such pets then you should be responsible for its actions, no matter how remote a risk.

Typically animals kill for food and defense. This snake killed for what reason? Neither. And in an apartment 2 floors upstairs! Lets blame the the owner. Heck if the snake made it's way across town he is guilty also. Maybe the imported and or breeder is at fault also! I can go on all day whiting connections here.

I agree, lets blame the owner. He kept a dangerous animal (unlicensed) that got out and killed.

Not much more needs to be said here. The owner kept an animal that kills and eats mammals for food. The owner is responsible for what that snake does.

You can add as many 'whataboutary' scenarios here as you want. The owner is responsible for the snake which views children as food/threat.

Manslaughter! Are you kidding?

No. Manslaughter for people that didn't keep their guns and dangerous animal out of reach of other people, including their own children, and thus contributed to fatal accidents. There are cases every week. Then if the animals are illegal in addition, it's aggravated circumstances.

First of all their are hundreds of thousands or more contractor snakes in North America.

I doubt it. The big ones are banned, therefore very difficult to obtain. That's not easy to bring that in as a souvenir from Africa. I doubt so many airheads with huge means actually break this law.

The law whould bar-b-cue the nutball owner of that snake. He is the only one responsible not the builders (who builds the ducts of a house thinking that they have to protect against SNAKES getting crushing the lives out of children)!

The only "good" thing to come out of all this is that that snake and all of its dangerous and venomous friends should make excellant luggage, hatbands purses and the like.

Manslaughter! Are you kidding? First of all their are hundreds of thousands or more contractor snakes in North America. How many kill humans each year? 'reasonable chance'? No, not so reasonable. How many dogs kill humans per year? Domestic cats, have they ever killed a child? Horses? Pet pigs?

Life is full of risk. Pointing fingers is all to easy. And removing freedoms each time.

This all said, I like snakes, but they should be in the wild. I love dogs but would not trust any dog with infants or toddlers alone. Am I overly cautious? Better safe than sorry.

This was such a freak accident and who would be responsible? Snake owner....The illegal snake escaped. Building owner....ductwork registers allowing the diameter of that snake to pass through.

So sad for the parents of those children. to suffer a seemingly vicious and silent death My heart goes out to them.

Blame.....How could anyone be held accountable for an accident that being killed by lightning is 10,000 or 100,000 times more likely.

MarkG: Quick question, bud, did the owner have the pet legally?