Dad Lets His Daughter Play With 15-Foot Python and Claims It’s Perfectly Safe

In a world where snakes and kids don’t usually get along, there’s a touching story to be told. Let’s meet Emi, a kind-hearted girl, and her pythons. Their strong connection goes beyond usual, showing that friendship can genuinely cross boundaries. Their lasting companionship, filled with love and support, has stood firm over time, leaving a special memory in the hearts of many.

Her father believes playing with snakes is safe.

Ed Taoka, a massage therapist from Surrey, proudly cares for an extraordinary pair: Sonny, a six-year-old reticulated python, and Cher, a five-year-old python pal. You can often catch heartwarming glimpses of his daughter Emi bonding with the pythons on social media. Surprisingly, she’s unafraid, even though these snakes are big and potentially dangerous. Ed wants everyone to know he’s always there when Emi is with the snakes, ensuring her safety. He passionately believes these serpents are kinder than most people think, challenging common beliefs.

The beginning of a great friendship.

The snakes, Sonny and Cher, have been part of the family since they were tiny. Emi met Sonny when she was just a year and a half old, a moment carefully orchestrated by her father to ensure a seamless introduction.

“I had been handling Sonny intensively 6 months beforehand. I need to assess what temperament he had. He was very calm and gentle, so I deemed it fine for him to be handled by my daughter”, he told us.

Ed is accustomed to living with snakes.

Ed explained that he used to keep snakes as pets when he was a child. “Snakes and reptiles have been a big part of my life growing up. I have owned some large constrictors before. Sonny and Cher are the first Reticulated Pythons I have had”, explained the father when asked about being familiar with pythons beforehand. This is precisely why he had no problem introducing the world of reptiles to Emi. Supervision is key, he says.

Little Emi gets along really well with snakes.

No interactions between Emi and the snakes go unsupervised, which is lovely. Moreover, the snakes have a balanced diet. They eat defrosted rabbits and never live food. Thus, the myth that snakes size us up to “eat us” is dispersed.
“My daughter loves the snakes. And she has taken instructions on how to behave with them very well. Because of this, she has been allowed to grow up with them, and the snakes do not consider her a threat or food”, explains the father.

They are each other’s comfort zone.

“They have all learned to behave with one another. The snakes trust her and will seek her out for comfort, warmth and security. My daughter will gladly provide that for them”, says the father.

All in all, the relationship between Emi and her snakes is not only one of friendship but also a family. We would wish nothing more for them, their love and companionship continue to fill our hearts.

We usually think of cats or dogs first when we think about pets. But other animals can also become special members of our families and close friends, even if they’re not the most common. And parrots and rats are just a couple of the unique animals we have in mind.