In the local news.....

[EeekSnakes]

At first, people thought this may be an April fools day joke.... but I tell you, it is not.

" Girl, 5, escapes unharmed after being choked by snake at B.C. pet expo

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ABBOTSFORD, B.C. (CP) - A little girl is OK after being choked by a snake at a pet expo in B.C.

The five-year-old was handed the corn snake by her mother but a bystander thought the child was being attacked and grabbed at the reptile.

This caused the normally docile metre-long snake to panic, choking the child.

Someone managed to loose the girl from the snake's grip and paramedics were also called to scene.

The event's organizer says he's never seen a corn snake behave that way. "

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/0...ty_kid_snake_1
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/070331/K033102AU.html
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNew...880474-cp.html

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A comment from another poster who was there ( which I have removed the name of the breeder's company)

" I was there at the time of the incident . To my knowledge it was the daughter of the owner of ...................... a corn snake breeder attending the show . The snake was caught in the childs hair and a bystander thought the snake was choking her so he started to pull at the snake causing it to constrict her further . She was unharmed .
I was at the WSPCR booth when this all happened . All I heard was a child scream and a bunch of people gather , someone told us a girl had been bitten by a dog ."

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What is your opinion on this?

What I would like to know is where the heck was the mother???????????

I have a 6 and 10 yr old, both girls.... Would I leave them alone with any of my snakes, even the most docile corn? Hell NO. Would I be out of reach while my children are holding a snake, HELL NO. Do I let them wrap the snake around their neck? Not my 6yr old. My 10yr old, yes, she does wear the snake around her neck but always, always, keeps her hand in between the snake and her neck, and the snake is NOT looped around her neck like a circle. It is draped over her shoulders forming a U shape, and her hand is in between the snakes body and her own neck. Not to mention that I AM within arms reach.

So a bystander thought the snake was trying to harm the child, ok.... nice of them to step in. Again, where the hell was the mother????????? Why wouldn't the OWNER of the snake step in and help the situation???????

Talk about irresponsible. That is what ticks me off the most....I'm overwhelmed with many emotions on this issue.

This type of irresponsibility gives a bad name to all of us breeders.

Please folks, practice SAFE SNAKE HANDLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!