Nebraska - Killer Snake Legal in Papillion
Killer Snake Legal in Papillion
Papillion, NE - The snake that killed a Papillion man Wednesday was a legal pet.
Papillion Police Lt. Chris Whitted says city ordinance only prohibits poisonous snakes, and the eight-plus foot red-tailed boa constrictor that killed 35-year-old Corey Byrne is not poisonous.
Byrne died after the snake wrapped around his neck and choked him.
When Papillion officers arrived, the snake had already retreated and wrapped itself around a tree. Byrne was not conscious.
Whitted says Byrne bought the snake four months ago at "Too Many Feathers", a La Vista pet store, which recently moved to Ralston.
Under La Vista laws, it's illegal to own a boa constrictor but it's legal to sell it.
Thursday, one of the foremost experts on reptiles talks about the deadly accident in Papillion.
"Normally they are considered not dangerous," says Jessi Krebs, the Henry Doorly Zoo curator.
These snakes are not considered dangerous because the attacks are extremely rare.
The last boa to kill someone in the United States, was thirty years ago. "It would have to have done something to earn that reputation. Lions are dangerous because they've killed people," says Krebs.
The Nebraska Humane Society will hold the snake until the police investigation is over. Spokesman Mark Langan says there are several options for the snake including sending it to a sanctuary or euthanizing it.
In Omaha, owning snakes is also legal unless the snake is over eight feet long.
Langan says a surprising number of people keep pet snakes in their homes. He says it's too soon to know if Byrne's death could lead to a review of city laws on owning exotic animals.
Byrne leaves behind two children.
