Father Explains Decision To Allow Toddler To Play With His 13-Foot Python

Mar 29, 2023

It’s not unusual for parents to introduce toddlers to pets. Some even allow toddlers or kids to play with cats and dogs. For starters, encouraging them to play with pets outdoors could serve as exercise, providing health benefits not just for the kids but also for the furbabies. It’s also a great way to teach kids to become responsible at an early age. For one, teaching kids how to feed pets would allow them to understand the importance of providing their new furry best friend food to survive. Lastly, it will give them a fun routine while forging a bond like no other. Then again, we’re talking about cats and dogs. But what if it’s a reptile? Like snakes or lizards? Would you introduce your kids to them at an early age? If not, why? Well, for a father who is into snakes, he made sure to introduce his child to one of his several pet snakes and even play with them.

In January 2015, a father from White Lake, Michigan, named Jamie Guarino, made headlines after he shared a video of his 14-month-old daughter Alyssa near his 13-feet long Burmese python named Nay-Nay.  

Jamie and one of his daughters, Krista, run a YouTube channel called SnakeHuntersTV, to change other people’s perceptions about snakes. He has more than 300,00 subscribers and mostly publishes content about snakes. 

But in the video, the python can be seen coiling around his then 14-month-old toddler before it grabbed it as it slithered by. This prompted people on the internet to react negatively to the video, with many saying it’s dangerous to have a snake around kids.

“This guy has a love for his snakes, which is perfectly fine, but it’s made him blind to the fact that is DOES remain a dangerous animal, especially towards a baby,” one person commented as quoted by ABC7.

“That guy doesn’t get it sadly, she still can be unsafe if left alone with a snake or even a dog, you just don’t know, she’s (sic) fine if there is an adult around watching though,” another person said.

“That thing is measuring the weight and mass of this kid for a future meal but.... that’s none of my business,” one other person said.

In his defense, Jamie said he only wanted to show that snakes aren’t the evil creatures they are usually portrayed to be. He has been a snake charmer since he was 18.

“I was trying to show that snakes are not evil creatures, they can be a loving pet despite their bad reputation,” Jamie said.

Jamie also said that it baffles him each time people react with fear or negativity each time they see Nay-Nay with his three daughters.

“When people see this clip they mostly react with fear or negativity and I don’t understand why because as you can see the snake is just roaming around and has no interest in biting her, choking her, or swallowing her,” he remarked in a video as quoted by The Mirror.

Jamie assured that his daughter is “absolutely in no danger.” He then argued that his child is safer with Nay-Nay considering there are more dog-related attacks compared to snake attacks.

“There are 95% more dog attacks than snake attacks,” he said,

Jamie also said he thinks people are brainwashed for having a fear of snakes.

“This is an embedded fear and I think people are brainwashed,” he said.

What can you say about Jamie Guarino allowing his daughter to play with snakes? Would you allow your kids to be around snakes? Let us know your thoughts and pass this on to your family and friends who might find this story interesting!