Don’t try this at home: girl swings python like lasso to save her pet
Backyard CCTV has captured incredible footage of a heroic 12-year-old Queensland girl saving her pet guinea pig from the locked jaw of a python – WATCH THE VIDEO
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A 12-year-old Queensland girl’s extraordinary* display of bravery to save her pet guinea pig from a two-metre python* has been caught on CCTV.
Rosie Wightman, the niece of Brisbane radio host Kip Wightman, is seen in the footage wrestling with the python as it attempted to devour* her guinea pig Maxibon in the backyard of her family’s Sunshine Coast home on Sunday afternoon.
In a January 31 interview with her uncle on KIIS 97.2, Rosie recounted* the moment she realised the python had Maxibon.
“I usually let my guinea pigs outside, and I went outside, and then I saw Maxibon, and then he starts screaming and his head was underneath this little spade which was covering a python,” she said.
“And then when I lifted a spade up, I see this python. And I’m like, ‘Oh, crap’.”
Despite her fear of snakes, Rosie grabbed the python and started swinging it, trying to make it release the guinea pig.
Rosie’s father rushed into the backyard and managed to free Maxibon before flinging the snake away. Remarkably, both the python and Maxibon survived, though the guinea pig had minor injuries.
“You can see on the video that as you swung it, it hit a few bits of furniture,” her uncle Kip said on air. “I can’t believe the guinea pig survived that part, then I saw Luke, my brother, eventually throw the snake over a fence. The snake – I’m told – lived. It’s fine.”
Rosie’s bravery left her family and the radio hosts in awe*.
“It’s really interesting … you never know which (fight or flight response*) you’re going to get. So obviously for you, mate, you just go into fight,” Kip’s co-host Robin Bailey said, impressed by Rosie’s courage.
Rosie was modest* about her heroic* act and said she was relieved her beloved guinea pig survived, albeit with a few scratches.
“(Maxibon) is still alive now, he does actually have a few, like, little marks from the teeth from the snake – like tiny little scratches,” she said.
The video of Rosie’s encounter has since captivated* viewers worldwide.
INTERACTING WITH SNAKES
While Rosie’s instincts kicked in and she was very brave, snake handlers and health authorities strongly recommend that people – especially children – exercise caution and common sense at all times.
Please do not attempt to engage directly with a snake unless it is in a controlled environment with a professional snake handler. If you come face-to-face with a snake, please alert an adult immediately.
ABOUT COASTAL CARPET PYTHONS
The coastal carpet python is a large, heavy snake often spotted along the rainforest regions of coastal Queensland.
While intimidating in size, the coastal carpet python is non-venomous, but it does deliver a sharp puncture bite with its razor sharp teeth.
Olive-green with pale, dark-edged blotches and bands and a creamy white belly, Coastal carpet pythons can weigh up to 10kg.
Coastal carpet pythons thrive in forests close to water.
They can end up in gutters and pipes around houses, where they find possums, birds, rats and mice.
They have been known to eat cats, small dogs, pet birds and even wallabies. They feed via constriction, slowly suffocating, swallowing, and digesting their prey.
To remove a Coastal carpet python, call a professional snake catcher and avoid threatening the snake to keep your family and pets safe.
Please take due care. The Coastal carpet python is not poisonous, but injury can occur from their razor sharp teeth or if they attempt to constrict you. Take a photo of the snake and seek medical attention.
Source: QLD Snakes Identification: A Guide, Australia-wide First Aid
POLL
GLOSSARY
- extraordinary: incredible, remarkable, out of the ordinary
- devour: eat eagerly, consume greedily, demolish
- recounted: told, related, narrated, described
- awe: wonder, admiration, amazement
- flight or fight response: a person’s automatic reaction to a stressful or frightening event
- modest: humble, not taking credit for one’s achievements, actions and abilities
- heroic: courageous, brave, daring, behaviour that is bold or dramatic
- captivated: enchanted, fascinated, enthralled
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QUICK QUIZ
- What ordinary piece of gardening equipment was the snake hiding beneath?
- What kind of snake did Rosie confront in her backyard?
- What is the name and variety of pet that Rosie so valiantly rescued?
- What injuries did the pet sustain?
- What happened to the snake?
LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Was it the right thing to do?
“Rosie should have stayed away from the snake, it was too dangerous”. Write down reasons why you either agree or disagree with this statement.
Time: allow at least 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education
2. Extension
Retell the story from Maxibon’s point of view. Make sure that your reader can feel and understand exactly what Maxibon must have felt and experienced by using plenty of details and descriptive words!
Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.