Tragic accident or bad parenting?

Pudding · 02 Jul 2009, 11:05

Stories like this make my blood curdle with rage through complete irresponsible stupidity of the parents

A family has been left distraught after a huge pet snake escaped from its cage and strangled their young child.

Two-year-old Shaiunna Hare was already dead by the time a rescue crew arrived at her family home near Oxford, Florida, on Wednesday morning.

The family's pet Burmese python, measuring more than 8ft long, had broken out of its terrarium sometime during the night.

Charles Jason Darnell, the snake's owner and the boyfriend of Shaiunna's mother, discovered the snake missing and went to the girl's room, where he found "the snake on the child" and bite marks on her head.

Mr Darnell dialled emergency services pleading for help.

"Our Burmese python got out of the cage last night and got into the baby's crib and strangled her to death," a tearful Mr Darnell told the emergency operator.

The 32-year-old grabbed a knife and stabbed the albino snake until it loosened its crushing grip on the toddler.

Authorities later found the animal under furniture and removed it from their small home - bordered by cow fields - along with another six-foot snake.

Two other children and Shaiunna's mother, 23-year-old Jaren Ashley Hare, who were sleeping in the small tan-coloured bungalow, were not harmed.

Mr Darnell told deputies he placed the larger snake in a bag, which he put in an aquarium on Tuesday night and then discovered the snake had escaped when he woke on Wednesday morning.

"This is a very sad situation," Sumter County Sheriff Bill Farmer said.

"To keep a large, unsecured snake in the house is just asking for trouble."

Mr Darnell did not have a permit for the snakes and a vet is determining whether the reptiles should be put down.

Although no charges have been laid but investigators are looking into whether there was child neglect or if any other laws were broken.

daveake · 02 Jul 2009, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudding

Mr Darnell did not have a permit for the snakes and a vet is determining whether the reptiles should be put down.

By "reptiles", they mean the adults in the house that let this happen, right?

AndrewG · 02 Jul 2009, 11:50

What an awful way for a child to die.

**Monstro** · 02 Jul 2009, 13:16

The parents should be prosecuted, plain and simple it's their fault.

**allrevvedup** · 02 Jul 2009, 14:16

further proof why some should have to obtain a qualification to become a parent

Sarge · 02 Jul 2009, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

further proof why some should have to obtain a qualification to become a parent

... or to have animals. "Huge pet snake"?

Such snakes belong in the wilderness, not in people's homes.

I know a lot of people who aren't even able to properly deal with a dog, a cat or a hamster, let alone a snake. Some people should neither have animals nor children.

For crying out loud · 02 Jul 2009, 19:16

its not fair that either snake should be put down, the one was innocent and the other was just doing what millions of years of evolution tell it to, hunt.

**The Flying Mouse** · 02 Jul 2009, 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by For crying out loud

its not fair that either snake should be put down, the one was innocent and the other was just doing what millions of years of evolution tell it to, hunt.

I think they have to be once they start to look at their human friends as potential lunch.
Certain snakes don't make the perfect house pet at the best of times, but once the snake has decided humans are prey, there's no way you can keep them.

A simalar thing happened to Jo's sisters friend.
The snake used to sleep next to her in bed

Then the snake went off it's food.
She took the snake to the vets, and when she came back a few hours later she was told they had put the snake down (didn't wait for her permission).
The vet told her that when the snake had been lying next to her at night, it had been meassuruing it's body next to hers, and it had been off it's food because it was starving itself so it could eat her

Snakes = not good house pets.

Anyone with children should be very selective when deciding on what pets are suitable in the home.

~Helen~ · 02 Jul 2009, 20:02

I went on a fire awareness training course today. One main element of the course was the difference between risk and hazard - risk can be minimised (or removed) by removing the hazard (his example was bengal tigers...they are a hazard but are not a risk in Tameside as Tameside has a zero population figure for bengal tigers).

Bringing a bloody great big python into your house is one BIG risk!

Dangerous enough for adults whose choice it is to have the animal in the house.

Neil I've heard that happening to people before where snakes lay down next to their owner in bed.

For crying out loud · 02 Jul 2009, 20:15

its like one of the oldest urban legands, lol. its always a friend of a friend or such.

Pudding · 02 Jul 2009, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

further proof why some should have to obtain a qualification to become a parent

Couldn't agree more. You'd have thought science by now would have advanced enough to chemically steralise individuals until they pass a certain level of IQ, then given a pill to make them fertile again when they're ready for kids.

CarylB · 03 Jul 2009, 00:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by For crying out loud

its like one of the oldest urban legands, lol. its always a friend of a friend or such.

Yes, it's also listed in almost identical words on Snopes, where they point out that snakes don't measure their potential victims .. indeed they'd starve if they put that much preparation into eating as animals don't normally lie there waiting for the snake to measure them up :)

However, I agree with those who say that it's the height of idiotic irresponsibility to try to keep a python in the same house as a child. A tragedy for the child in this case .. but truly awful parenting.

I never understand why people want to keep wild anmals in the home anyway .. they're better off in the wild imo .. one reason cats and dogs are referred to as "domesticated" animals .. (and some of the latter don't belong in a home with children imo .. pit bulls for eg.)

But interesting that Helen referred to tigers .. apparently there are more tigers in the USA than there are living in the wild now .. and most of them are in private homes in Texas! I'm glad that in Sheffield, as in Thameside, tigers have a zero population.

Caryl

sexyeyes_jo · 03 Jul 2009, 23:27

to me the parents ain't got no common sense, if they got small kids that age surely wouldn't they have got rid of the snake especially if its dangerous like that

but then again some people ain't got sense these days

For crying out loud · 05 Jul 2009, 04:13

yay, the snakes been aquitted. neither will face the death penalty!!!

~Helen~ · 06 Jul 2009, 15:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by For crying out loud

yay, the snakes been aquitted. neither will face the death penalty!!!

but what about the parents??

L96 · 06 Jul 2009, 15:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by allrevvedup

further proof why some should have to obtain a qualification to become a parent

I heard/read/saw somewhere that they should have had a license for the python, which they had failed to obtain.

If they can't be arsed getting the qualification to keep a snake, they're hardly likely to go and sit the parenting test.

Numbnuts.

02 Jul 2009, 11:05	#1
Pudding I'm A Prize Fight Lover... Join Date: 22.10.2003 Location: New Zealand Posts: 5,532	Tragic accident or bad parenting? Stories like this make my blood curdle with rage through complete irresponsible stupidity of the parents A family has been left distraught after a huge pet snake escaped from its cage and strangled their young child. Two-year-old Shaiunna Hare was already dead by the time a rescue crew arrived at her family home near Oxford, Florida, on Wednesday morning. The family's pet Burmese python, measuring more than 8ft long, had broken out of its terrarium sometime during the night. Charles Jason Darnell, the snake's owner and the boyfriend of Shaiunna's mother, discovered the snake missing and went to the girl's room, where he found "the snake on the child" and bite marks on her head. Mr Darnell dialled emergency services pleading for help. "Our Burmese python got out of the cage last night and got into the baby's crib and strangled her to death," a tearful Mr Darnell told the emergency operator. The 32-year-old grabbed a knife and stabbed the albino snake until it loosened its crushing grip on the toddler. Authorities later found the animal under furniture and removed it from their small home - bordered by cow fields - along with another six-foot snake. Two other children and Shaiunna's mother, 23-year-old Jaren Ashley Hare, who were sleeping in the small tan-coloured bungalow, were not harmed. Mr Darnell told deputies he placed the larger snake in a bag, which he put in an aquarium on Tuesday night and then discovered the snake had escaped when he woke on Wednesday morning. "This is a very sad situation," Sumter County Sheriff Bill Farmer said. "To keep a large, unsecured snake in the house is just asking for trouble." Mr Darnell did not have a permit for the snakes and a vet is determining whether the reptiles should be put down. Although no charges have been laid but investigators are looking into whether there was child neglect or if any other laws were broken.

02 Jul 2009, 11:50	#3
AndrewG I hope your salmon sucks! Join Date: 18.01.2004 Location: Northamptonshire Posts: 7,077	What an awful way for a child to die.

02 Jul 2009, 13:16	#4
Monstro Promoted to Wario's spellchecker Join Date: 17.09.2005 Location: London Posts: 12,946	The parents should be prosecuted, plain and simple it's their fault.

02 Jul 2009, 14:16	#5
allrevvedup "Most things that i worry about, never happen anyway" Join Date: 29.11.2003 Location: Liverpool Posts: 5,351	further proof why some should have to obtain a qualification to become a parent

02 Jul 2009, 19:16	#7
For crying out loud Senior Loafer Join Date: 25.08.2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 182	its not fair that either snake should be put down, the one was innocent and the other was just doing what millions of years of evolution tell it to, hunt.

02 Jul 2009, 20:02	#9
~Helen~ Mega Loafer Join Date: 01.11.2007 Location: Manchester Posts: 1,958	I went on a fire awareness training course today. One main element of the course was the difference between risk and hazard - risk can be minimised (or removed) by removing the hazard (his example was bengal tigers...they are a hazard but are not a risk in Tameside as Tameside has a zero population figure for bengal tigers). Bringing a bloody great big python into your house is one BIG risk! Dangerous enough for adults whose choice it is to have the animal in the house. Neil I've heard that happening to people before where snakes lay down next to their owner in bed.

02 Jul 2009, 20:15	#10
For crying out loud Senior Loafer Join Date: 25.08.2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 182	its like one of the oldest urban legands, lol. its always a friend of a friend or such.

03 Jul 2009, 23:27	#13
sexyeyes_jo Mrs Mouse Join Date: 17.05.2005 Location: Liverpool Posts: 4,633	to me the parents ain't got no common sense, if they got small kids that age surely wouldn't they have got rid of the snake especially if its dangerous like that but then again some people ain't got sense these days

05 Jul 2009, 04:13	#14
For crying out loud Senior Loafer Join Date: 25.08.2008 Location: Birmingham Posts: 182	yay, the snakes been aquitted. neither will face the death penalty!!!