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Terrifying Python Briefly Escaped At Brooklyn Children's Museum
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 1, 2013
Modified Sep 1, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 1, 2013
Modified Sep 1, 2013
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You may recall that a few years ago, an egyptian cobra escaped from her cage at the Bronx Zoo and slithered her way into our hearts. It might be all fun and games when a snake escapes from the Bronx Zoo, but it's outright terrifying when life imitates a rejected Far Side cartoon and a giant python escapes in a children's museum.
Fantasia, a 20-foot-long python, briefly escaped from her cage in the Brooklyn Children's Museum this week. "So there I am with the kids watching a 300lb Burmese python being fed at The Children's Museum. The keeper opened the door to feed it another Guinea pig and the python just shot out, bit the keeper's leg and started to constrict around it. Every one screamed and ran," one witness wrote on Facebook. Here's what it looks like when Fantasia is eating.
The Museum confirmed the incident to Daily Intel: "Like at similar organizations that work with live animals, the unexpected sometimes occurs," said a spokesperson. "While being fed, Fantasia nipped her handler in the leg. Immediately, all visitors were cleared out, and the room was then secured. Our Animal Maintainers took the appropriate steps to return Fantasia to her enclosure within the hour."
The handler is fine now, the python is back in her cage, and the Museum is looking forward "to welcoming families to experience the many exciting exhibits and programs that we're proud to offer Brooklyn and New York City community." We imagine that doesn't include any more "Fantasia on the Loose!" events in the future.
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brooklyn children's museum
fantasia
python
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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