14 foot Burmese killed after biting owner
 

PALMER - A 14-foot Burmese python that turned on its owner in the midst of last weekend's flooding, was shot to death by police who at one point were worried that their pistols might not be strong enough for the job.

The 180-pound snake, named Jesus, was killed by a shotgun blast from police after it attacked its owner, 22-year-old Gary R. Velthouse, biting his left wrist and coiling its body around his arm.

"Its mouth was around my whole hand ... I figured I could get him off, but I couldn't," Velthouse said yesterday.

Detective Sgt. Scott E. Haley, who along with Sgt. Rodney A. North and Sgt. Christopher J. Burns responded Saturday afternoon to the basement of 50 Cleveland St., said they threw a blanket over the snake, which has a 14-foot striking distance and told everyone to evacuate.

"It was so big and strong, we were concerned about shooting it with a pistol," Haley said.

Haley held a flashlight, while North shot the snake in the head with a shotgun.

Prior to calling police, Velthouse's friend tried prying the snake's mouth off Velthouse's wrist with a screwdriver. Stabbing the snake with a machete finally made it release him.

"The snake was very agitated. It was angry and you couldn't get too close to it," said Haley. "We called the MSPCA and explained the situation and we came to the conclusion that the snake had to be disposed of."

He said the call came in the midst of a busy weekend of responding to flood related emergencies.

"This is another example of an animal that shouldn't have been a pet. It turned and hurt somebody," Haley said.

Velthouse, who was taken to Springfield's Baystate Medical Center, thinks the water leaking into the basement was causing the snake's heating pad to short-circuit, giving it electric shocks. Velthouse said he had the python for three years, and kept it in a large cage. Velthouse, who has missed three days of work, said his hand is still swollen.

"He was always friendly. This is the only time it ever happened, and just because it was in pain," Velthouse said.

Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said the Environmental Police have been contacted, to make sure the pet was legal.

While Burmese pythons can be kept as pets because they are generally docile, reticulated pythons cannot. The two snakes look similar, but the reticulated is aggressive, said Thomas W. French, assistant director of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

French said Jesus was probably a female, because of its large size. French said it's possible that the python smelled food on Velthouse, causing it to strike.

"That's an animal as big as ones that have killed people. It is usually a reasonably safe pet, but they are potentially dangerous when they get to this size. It's a painful bite," he said.

The incident hasn't turned Velthouse off snakes. He still has a red-tailed boa.

"It's a lot smaller. It's not a problem," Velthouse said.

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Did they shoot
 

Mike Tyson in the head after he bit someone!!! :shrug01:

[quote]Prior to calling police, Velthouse's friend tried prying the snake's mouth off Velthouse's wrist with a screwdriver. Stabbing the snake with a machete finally made it release him.
"The snake was very agitated. It was angry and you couldn't get too close to it," said Haley. "We called the MSPCA and explained the situation and we came to the conclusion that the snake had to be disposed of."[quote]
Hmmmm, all they did was try to pry its mouth open with a screwdriver and stab it with a machete (after it received electrical shocks)? I see no reason for the snake to have been angry or agitated. Disposing of the snake was obviously the only recourse...after they shot it in the head with a shotgun, anyways. They don't make good pets after that - all the little pellets cause dain bramage.

I changed my mind - no comment on that one.

now mind you, this is a 14 ft snake that has a 14 ft striking distance. An idea made even more amazing by the fact that it weighs 180 lbs. Methinks that somebody doesn't know what the f- I mean - heck they are talking about (aside from Thomas W French, from the above quote). that is beyond mere exaggeration.

Uh, I'm willing to bet I would bite someone too if I was getting my butt shocked like that. 'Spose they'd shoot me too?

14 foot striking distance......OMG, you'd think.......oh, never mind. These reports will always contain ignorant misinformation like that.....makes for a better story you know, if they don't actually put FACTS in it.

:( aaww, that is so sad...

Does anyone else think they maybe could have held the snake's head under water as long as it took to make it let go, instead of bludgeoning it like that?

Why is it that reptiles need to be shot by large weapons. Understandable you would want heavy firepower for a Rhinoceros, but a snake? I am pretty sure the handgun would have done the job the shotgun did.

"Snake!!! Quick, get the steam roller! The truck will not kill it as well!"

Keep in mind that the snake had already released the man's hand (that happened after they stabbed it with the machete)...Apparently, their resident expert at the MSPCA recognized that this snake was beyond rehabilitation (once it got a taste of human blood there would be no turning it away???, lol) and had to be put down. How about containing the animal and contacting someone that has a clue. The rampant disregard for reptiles - whether borne of fear, dislike, or lack of knowledge - that is found in many "shelters" is truly appalling. I thought the 'PCA' part of the acronym stood for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (A SNAKE!!! GET THE SHOTGUN!!), that animal shelters would shelter animals, and that humane societies would be based upon theories of humane treatment...this should be true without prejudice. Bunnies, guinea pigs, dogs, and cats (read: warm and furry things) get preferential treatment. In some areas, reptiles are prohibited simply because the animal control officer doesn't like them AND nobody cared enough to stop it (this statement made with the knowledge that frequently by the time the public is aware of such things, it is too late to stop them)

It had a 14 foot striking distance because it could launch itself, wholebody, into the air. It could do this because it is an angry female that was "in pain". Why the snake was in pain the article does not tell us.

Harold, obviously it was beyond rehabilitation, it had all those machete marks on its head.

You want to talk about biters? How about hamsters and cockatiels?

Stories like this upset me. Once again the animal has to be punished because the human is an idiot. Oh, and thank God the human idiot has ANOTHER snake to console himself with.

perhaps the person wielding the machete should have lopped off the arm that the snake was attached to...clearly it was just hungry - it didn't get to be 180 lbs by not eating, lol. (still trying to picture the thing...14' long and 180 lbs - must be quite the sight. I wonder if it gets dizzy rolling back and forth, trying to get to the heating pad)

OH MY GOD hh!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:



I remember when I had a 13ft Burmese-I kept a spray bottle of alcohol and some smelling salts attached to the cage AT ALL TIMES. Man you think you'd find these things out before you got a snake got that gets big! (yea right) A police dept not far from me has shot 2 big snakes in the last 5yrs. I just found this out when I dropped a card off at the station offering my services on snake removal and rescue-they just had no clue what to do with them! I'm finding there is so much mis-information and NO information in places it is needed about snakes. Oh well we gotta keep informing when the chance presents itself.

stef