Giant Snake in Electric Fence Photographs

Outline
Message with photographs of a very large snake caught in an electric fence claims that the snake had been killing sheep on an Australian farm.



Brief Analysis
The photographs are genuine but the description is false. In fact, the photographs were taken on a South African game ranch and depict an African rock python.

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Last updated: 21st February 2012
First published: 26th March 2007
Article written by Brett M. Christensen
About Brett Christensen and Hoax-Slayer

Example:(Submitted March 2007)


Detailed Analysis
These photographs of a large snake that has died after being caught in an electric fence have been circulating since 2005. The photographs are genuine. However, in most versions of the message, the description that accompanies the images is inaccurate.

The version discussed here claims that the snake was caught on an Australian sheep farm after the owner put up an electric fence to kerb the mysterious disappearance of some of his sheep. A number of other versions have similar cover stories set in different areas of the world.

In fact, the photographs were taken on the Silent Valley Game Ranch in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A web page on the game ranch website explains:

The snake in this picture had eaten a full grown Impala ewe and, sadly, caught itself in an electric fence.

Over four metres in length, this was a large specimen. When the python was skinned we found a full grown Impala ewe had just been swallowed.

The African Rock Python is identified as the third largest species of snake in the world.



References
Silent Valley Game Ranch
African Rock Python (Python sebae)
African Rock Python

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