The 10-foot long wild African rock python quickly coiled itself around the 60-pound dog’s neck as it was exercising outside the Miami-Dade County home. With the life being squeezed out of the beloved pooch – named Duke – his owner frantically dialed 911 for help. Her son even slashed at the serpent’s body with garden shears – after desperately trying to wrestle the beast away from the canine. But it was to no avail.
Rescue crews arrived on the scene, in the Bird Drive recharge area, but declared that the dog had died within five minutes of being attacked , They then killed the snake, which is now being sent to the University of Florida for a necropsy.
Duke’s devastated owner, who did not want to be identified, told CBS Miami she’d “never seen anything like it” in 20 years of living near the Everglades.
“‘Be careful, especially with young kids, because something that big can kill a kid,’ she warned.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission is now searching for other wild pythons that could be patrolling the area.
“We do know there is a colony of these types of pythons concentrated in a six-square mile area in southwest Miami-Dade County,” said spokesman Jorge Pino.
The incident happened on Aug. 30. but the gruesome images have only come to light this week.
Captain Jeff Fobb, of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Venom One unit, said two bite wounds were found on the snake’s neck – which raised questions as to who had struck first.
“It’s difficult to tell if the snake attacked the dog,” he said. “A snake would’ve had trouble eating a dog that size, so it might’ve been a defensive move.”
In another twist to the tale, it’s also been reported that the attack happened at the family home of accused murderer Jose R Rojas.
Rojas was charged with the grisly torture and murder of his boss and a co-worker last year.