Snake Strangles Two Boys To Death

Two small brothers, age 5 and 7, have been tragically strangled to death in their sleep in Canada, by a  massive 16-foot python that escaped from a pet store below the apartment where the children were staying the night.


The first pictures have emerged of little Connor and Noah Barth, who were sleeping soundly when the 100-pound African Rock Python fell from the ceiling and attacked them.

The boys were spending the night with Jean-Claude Savoie, who lives above the Reptile Ocean pet store that he owns in the tiny New Brunswick city of Campbellton. Reptile Ocean is home to a veritable menagerie of exotic animals, including crocodiles, tarantulas, tortoises and at numerous snakes.

Mr Savoie described to Global News how he walked into the living room and found the two boys dead about 6.30am on Monday. He found the snake coiled in a hole nearby.

He said the creeping serpent slithered upstairs into his apartment through the ventilation ducts and creeped into the ceiling.

It then fell through the ceiling and dropped onto the small boys from above. Mr Savoie said he believes the snake coiled around both children and crushed them as they slept together on the floor.

The National Post reports that the snake was a 14 to 16-foot African rock python that even its owner said was 'vicious' and was rarely handled.

Tim Thomas, a former Reptile Ocean employee, told the newspaper that when he learned of the tragedy, he immediately called Mr Savoie's best friend, Mandy Trecartin, who told him it was her boys who were killed.

Neighbor Diane Fournier confirmed to MailOnline that it was Connor and Noah who had been killed.

She described how she often saw the brothers happily playing together outside. They were fascinated by animals, she said, and often came over to pet her dog.

'The kids were always playing and laughing. They were really full of joy and lots of energy,' she said.

Facebook photos show both of the boys handling a small corn snake - called Mr Slithers - owned by their mother.

Ms Fournier told MailIOnline that Mr Savoie operated Reptile Ocean as both a pet shop and as a zoo.

He kept numerous snakes and lizards and small crocodiles to sell, but he hosted tour groups.

'He always had kids going in there to visit like school kids and groups,' she said.