Cleaning the cage of a really hungry 12-foot, 126-lb tiger python. What could go wrong? Here's the story of one Renate Klosse, zoo owner, who just had an intimate tour of a python's mouth:
'The jaws of the snake opened so wide that, with one lunge, she was able to completely cover the woman’s face,' said a police spokeswoman. 'She feared that with a few more gulps her head would be inside.'
Renate instinctively stuck her thumbs into the jawbone of the snake to try to get it to relieve its pressure. Colleagues then sprayed water hoses on to it and it finally slithered off.
What happened next?
Renate needed hospital treatment for bites and shock. Antonia had to settle for a supper of live white rats instead.
So it's a balance between knowing exactly when to feed, how much to feed, and when to avoid the snake cage.