#Boa constrictor snake kills woman full

State and federal wildlife officials are so concerned about pythons that it’s basically open season on the non-native reptiles year-round in Florida. Wildlife authorities want them gone because, with the warm sub-tropical climate and having no natural predators, their population has exploded, especially in the Everglades. They were not his snakes,” Harbsmeier said.īurmese pythons were introduced to South Florida decades ago, likely through the exotic pet trade. “He could not have given consent with anything with these snakes. Lakeland attorney Curt Harbsmeier, legal advisor to the Reptile Keepers, disputes the FWC statement, however, pointing out that the owner of the facility only owned one of the snakes - the boa the officers mistakenly killed. “Assembling the information and records required to provide a clear picture to the public on the facts of this incident may take time, but the FWC is committed to providing factual information when it becomes available.”

#Boa constrictor snake kills woman full

“The FWC Division of Law Enforcement is determining the full details of this incident and more information will be released when it is verified and appropriate to do so,” the statement continued. While they were there, the owner of the facility “formally relinquished his reptiles” and requested the officers euthanize them “on-site at his facility,” the agency’s statement said. The Fish and Wildlife agency said in an emailed statement Tuesday that a full account of the incident “may take time,” but added its officers went to the facility to check if a python found in the area the day before escaped from there. Some had “unique color morphs” and could have sold for up to $4,000 each, Parker said. In total, the officers killed 34 snakes, the snake group said in a statement.ĭaniel Parker, a spokesman with the Reptile Keepers, said the boa was pregnant with 32 babies, which were about a month away from being born. You just killed something that wasn’t illegal and had about a hundred thousand dollars worth of babies,” a man is heard yelling in the background.Īccording to the Reptile Keepers, the officers were carrying out an unannounced raid on the facility. The officers’ reaction indicates they knew they made a mistake just moments after they killed the snake. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers last Thursday used a device that launched a charge into the snakes’ heads, killing more than 30 of the reptiles - all but one either invasive Burmese or reticulated pythons - according to the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, the snake advocacy group that posted the video.Īt one point in the video, the officers are seen killing the snake that turned out to be the pregnant boa constrictor, which is legal to have as a pet in Florida. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at more stories like this, check our news page.A disturbing video was posted online this week showing Florida wildlife officers killing dozens of snakes at a Sunrise reptile facility, including one they mistook for a prohibited python that turned out to be a pregnant boa constrictor. Senseman was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Cedar Crest, where he died froman anoxic brain injury – when there is a complete lack of oxygen to the brain – the Lehigh County Coroner’s office said. He wanted them to be in a habitat that was as close to their natural environments as possible since they couldn’t be put in the wild.’ ‘They shouldn’t be bred to be kept as pets. ‘Too many people get these snakes and can’t handle or take care of them,’ Heather said. But according to his mother, Senseman wanted people to know the risks involved.

‘He was still working with it because it was so aggressive couldn’t be placed yet,’ Heather said.īoa constrictors make for popular pets, and are often advertised as safe and low maintenance. This particular snake was neglected and mistreated, family members said.

Senseman was known to rescue abandoned or abused pet snakes and place them in new homes. Police found two other snakes at the home as well as a number of other animals. Senseman was an experienced snake handler and had worked with the animals since he was 10 years old, a family member told the Daily Beast.

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