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Journalism of Courage
A gruesome video that shows a man swinging a python to hit another man during a fight is going viral. This incident, which took place on May 10 in Toronto, has enraged the netizens who have demanded strict action against the accused for animal abuse. The Tronto Star reported that the python died after the incident.
As per a press release by the Toronto Police, the person who used a live python during the fight has been identified as 45-year-old Laurenio Avila. He has been arrested and charged with “assault with a weapon” and causing “unnecessary pain/suffering to an animal”.
The press release reveals that Avila reportedly threatened people with a python while walking around the Dundas Street West and Manning Avenue area. He then approached the victim, which turned into a physical altercation and Avila used the python to attack the victim.
A video of this street fight was shared online by popular Twitter account Crazy Clips (@crazyclipsonly). Commenting on it, a Twitter user wrote, “Animal abuse. I feel sick about people that keep snakes and birds as pets. It’s sickening, and this man needs to be prosecuted for abuse of that snake. I hate people.”.
Animal rights groups have long argued that reptiles like pythons should not be kept as pets. PETA argues that snakes and other reptiles like iguanas are inherently solitary creatures that do not like to be held by humans. These wild animals also have the need to move around but are unfortunately confined to enclosures. Additionally, the demand for pets like pythons promotes unethical breeding and even animal trafficking.
