Viral video of child with 12ft snake sparks online debate – via Herp Digest

Video at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJNuq_MQOq46x0vSnkvNWg

The Scottsman, July 10, 2017

An online video on a Harry Potter fan page involving a young girl wrapped in a large snake has sparked an online debate.

The video, titled “Raising a young Slytherin” shows a girl sitting as a snake perches just above her on the couch.

The Harry Potter fan site is clearly linking video to Parseltongue, the language of serpents linked to Slytherin House in Harry Potter.

In the video, as the girl says “do it” the snake opens its mouth in apparent yawn.

However, the post has sparked an online debate over the safety of the child.

Some users have expressed concern while others have praised the parents for making sure the child feels comfortable with snakes

User Emily Parvin wrote: “It’s an albino python. They will stop eating when sizing something up so no need to worry as long as it’s eating the food on offer to it.

“If it stops eating, then you should be concerned. As for not being dangerous, of course it’s dangerous, but so can any animal be. I love snakes though. But I’ll stick to cats for pets.”

Shannon Kerr posted: “Having a snake is just like having a dog or anything else like that, yeh it’s quite unlikely but if it wanted to the dog could snap and bite a child just like a snake could wrap itself around you but honestly, most PET snakes I’ve met are pretty chill.”

Dorothy Locke Mancinelli wrote: “Well this is a news story waiting to happen. I get of it were a little corn snake or something but this is just stupid. Haven’t we seen the stories of snakes that were “gentle” or “harmless” that have strangled kids or the family dog or cat? Stupid stupid stupid!”

A debate has been sparked over the safety concerns with Jordan Pemble writing: “Yeah, no freakin way. That snake is sizing that child up to eat.”

The video has been viewed more than 319,000 times on the page alone.