Why a Dad Chose Pythons as His Daughter’s Companions, and Now They’re Besties

In a world where snakes and kids don’t go along, a girl Emi and her pythons have continuously proven people wrong. They have been together for as long as they can tell, giving each other love and reassurance.

The beginning of a great friendship.

Snakes Sonny and Cher, now 8 and 7 years old, have been with the family ever since they were small. Emi was introduced to Sonny when she was a year and a half, when the father was sure that everything would go smoothly.

“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.

Opinions regarding Emi playing with pythons have been divided throughout time.

“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 exactly why he had no problem introducing the world of reptiles to Emi, as well. Supervision is key, he says.

Though it seems like everything is supervised and carefully handled, negative comments still make their way in. Some people deem snakes unfitting for playing with a child, since they are regarded as being ferocious by nature.

To this, the father explains, “I do get those comments, but the truth is there is nothing wrong allowing children to experience supervised interactions with non-venomous snakes. When you try and get into why they think the way they do, it is often based on myth, prejudice and movies.”

Removing the stigma around pythons as playmates.

“Compare letting kids play with large constrictors to other supervised activities such as letting children experience trampolines, bouncy castles, horses or dogs and the fatality rates start increasing. But the thing is, parents still want their children to experience these things”. When asked about the risks, this is what the father had to say. Once again, supervision is key.

No interactions between Emi and the snakes go unsupervised, and that is wonderful. 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.

How Emi and the snakes get along.

It seems like the three get along just great. Since they have been together for so long, the dynamic works out amazingly, the love being carried out from one another, just like a family.

“My daughter loves the snakes. And she has taken instruction 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 they are a family as well. We would wish nothing more for them, their love and companionship continues to fill our hearts.

What are your thoughts on snakes as playmates? Would you ever get one? Did this story change your mind in any way?