by Python sᴛʀᴀɴɢʟᴇs antelope then ᴅɪᴇs after being sᴋᴇᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ by horns
A python was ʜɪᴛ by instant karma after sᴛʀᴀɴɢʟɪɴɢ an antelope and being sᴋᴇᴡᴇʀᴇᴅ by the horns.
The heavyweight African rock python was seen ᴘᴏᴜɴᴄɪɴɢ on the impala in a field in Luapula, Zambia, on April 3. But in the ensuing sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ, the python tried to sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡ the ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ antelope – only to be ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ by one of the animal’s sharp horns.
The animal is believed to have used its defence mechanism in one last attempt to ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ and ᴘʟᴜɴɢᴇᴅ it through the snake’s brain. It ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ the python but its efforts to ᴇsᴄᴀᴘᴇ were in vain and they both ᴅɪᴇᴅ alongside each other.
Farmer David Reeve found the pair sprawled on the ground with one of the horn’s piercing through the python’s head. He said: “Basically the python tried to sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡ the Impala and unfortunately the impala’s horns ᴘᴇɴᴇᴛʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ the pythons skull. It’s very rare but can happen. This happens if the Impala is still ᴀʟɪᴠᴇ after being sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ.”
A similar incident occurred in South Africa’s Kruger Park. A huge python accidentally got itself caught on an antelope’s horn, much like a fish on a hook, as it started gorging on the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ animal.
A horn can be seen sticking out of the body as the snake shows obvious signs of ᴀɢᴏɴʏ. The ᴅɪsᴛʀᴇssᴇᴅ python retreats back from feasting on the antelope as it attempts to free itself. The serpent eventually managed to free itself from the antelope’s grip after a ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ.
African rock Pythons, which can grow up to 12ft, are non-venomous and ᴋɪʟʟ its ᴘʀᴇʏ by constriction. After restraining their ᴘʀᴇʏ and the snake coils around it ᴛɪɢʜᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ its grip every time the ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ breathes out. Experts say ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ is usually caused by ᴄᴀʀᴅɪᴀᴄ arrest as opposed to ᴀsᴘʜʏxɪᴀᴛɪᴏɴ or ᴄʀᴜsʜɪɴɢ.
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