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Enormous Amethystine (Scrub) Python eats family pet dog

A Kuranda couple fears for their children's safety after a 5m python devoured their dog in front of them, just weeks after other snakes killed their cat and guinea pig.

Daniel Peric said he now would not leave his two children, aged five and seven, alone in any part of the house, after the "enormous" python ate his silky terrier-cross Chihuahua about 9pm on Monday.

"Actually watching it unfold before your eyes was pretty gut wrenching," he said.

"We'd had the dog about five years, so it was part of the family."

Mr Peric said in the weeks before, the family had found their cat's body, which looked like something had attempted to swallow it and on Sunday a smaller python had eaten their pet guinea pig.

"When it happens once, you think it's a one-off, but last night I thought "this is serious," he said.

"We have ducted air-conditioning. Call it paranoia, but my big fear is that a snake will get in there."

Australian Venom Zoo owner Stuart Douglas took the call from the distressed Peric family on Monday night and arrived to remove the scrub python within 20 minutes.

"They were very upset but they still had the decency to call us to come and get it," Mr Douglas said.

"It was at the bottom of the veranda, they'd thrown chairs at it (the python) to try to stop it, but it had already eaten the animal."

Mr Douglas said by the time he arrived, all that could be seen of the dog was its back legs and tail.

"It only took about 30 minutes to eat the dog, but it will be digesting it for two days," he said.

Mr Douglas said pythons were amazing animals that belonged in the Far North but people needed to be aware that pets were potential prey.

"These pythons used to feed on wallabies but now they feed on cats and dogs in suburbia," he said.

"This python actively stalked their dog."

He said if anyone saw a large snake near their home they should call someone to remove it as soon as possible.

"There’s someone in every area of Queensland who will come around for a donation and basically volunteer to collect it."

Mr Douglas said he would wait until the python had fully digested its prey before releasing it.

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Added: Dec-24-2008 Occurred On: Feb-27-2008
By: Pro-Logical
In:
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Tags: Scrub, Amethystine, Python, Snake, Dog, Cairns, Kuranda, Far North Queensland, Australia,
Location: Kuranda, Queensland, Australia (load item map)
Marked as: approved
Views: 19601 | Comments: 23 | Votes: 0 | Favorites: 0 | Shared: 0 | Updates: 0 | Times used in channels: 1
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  • How is the video related to the text? I see no dog, inside the snake or outside.

    Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

    (0)

    • Comment of user 'AmericanTitan' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Comment of user 'Pro-Logical' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Comment of user 'Pro-Logical' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Did you listen to the video at all mate?

      If you did then you would know its a 5 metre snake that has just ate a dog at a family home near Kuranda and had just been moved to a Australian Venom Zoo at Kuranda and was to be released in another location to a national park far from the family's home later.

      If you listened to the entire video you would know the full story. Is all you see in the video of the dog now is the bulge in the snake's stomach.

      Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

      (0)

    • That was a small dog then.

      Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

      (0)

  • Comment of user 'Pro-Logical' has been deleted by moderator!
  • Although I repect your opinion, it doesn't mean I have to agree.

    Your 'snake eating child' view can only make me suspect that you don't have any children, and if you do, please don't ever let them play in your garden.

    But despite all you best tries, if a snake eats my cat in my house (or garden), it's handbag time, whether legal or not. ;-)

    Posted Dec-25-2008 By 

    (0)

  • Comment of user 'iBreakThings' has been deleted by moderator!
  • If a python ate my cat I wouldn't be thinking of calling someone to come and rescue the snake but how to turn in into a handbag...

    Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

    (-1)

    • Comment of user 'Pro-Logical' has been deleted by moderator!
    • If that was the case, then you would definitely end up in court and might even go to jail, at the very least you will cop a hefty fine for killing protected wildlife.

      These snakes have a place in the ecosystem and are protected here in Australia and eating your cat is definitely not legal reason or a defence in court for killing them.

      And if I ever seen anyone kill a snake like this, I would report them without hesitation. This snake is only doing what it is meant to and what comes naturally. More..

      Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

      (1)

    • Comment of user 'AmericanTitan' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Comment of user 'AmericanTitan' has been deleted by moderator!
    • Well, but the snake trying to attack me while I tried to rescue my cat might do the trick in court.

      Nevertheless, out in the open I would do nothing else but to admire it, as with all wild life, don't get me wrong there ;-)

      Posted Dec-24-2008 By 

      (0)

  • first things first . i grew up in mackay . qld . i have seen snakes most of my childhood , i've had a king brown run over my legs and then go through a cubby house were my cousins were and not touch anyone because it was more terrified of us. i have been bitten because i accidently ran over a snakes tail with my bike . in other words i respect snakes and for good reason. my dog as a child was a dingo / cattle cross . and he used to kill a snake a day . do i think a snake should be killed ....... More..

    Posted Jan-9-2009 By 

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  • weird they had a cat, a pig and a dog...they knew a snake attacked them so why the hell did they keep the dog alone near a f***ing snake? seriously if you have othre pets that died cuz a snake ate/killed them do something about it and dont let your dog alone where you saw a snake..specially outside..the good thing is that they didnt kill the snake..not snake's fault lol

    Posted Jan-19-2009 By 

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