A one-year-old boy from Mattoon, Illinois is recovering after he was bit by a python. The boy, William Winans, was in his crib when the python entered it and wrapped itself around his and bit him. William’s father, Devin Winans, entered the boy’s room when he heard his son moving around the crib. When he went into the room he put his hand in the crib and felt something slimy.
“I immediately turned the light on and saw the snake, a ball python, wrapped around his foot, constricting it, and trying to eat his foot,” Devin Winans said.
Devin pulled the snake off of his son, who was taken to a hospital for treatment of the bite. The boy was bit on his foot. The python, which escaped from its owner, was living in an apartment next door to the Winans family. The owner, Shelby C. Guyette, was cited by Mattoon police for not having a secure terrarium.
“It was definitely something we never thought of happening. It was definitely really scary,” Sara Lacey, the boy’s mother, said. Lacey also noted that the building is supposed to be free of pets, adding that she never saw the python previously. The snake was taken into custody as of Monday morning by the Coles County animal shelter.