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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Whether an after-school activity was an educational lesson or a disturbing demonstration is being debated at a Westside school where a group of students watched as a python devoured a bunny.

Cameras rolled inside a Trinity Christian Academy as a python struck, killed and ate a rabbit in a classroom crowded with students.

The video was posted on YouTube.com, showing the supervised demonstration at the school with students wearing miniature, fake snakes around their necks.


After placing a large python on floor, a man removes a rabbit from a cage and baits it for the snake, moving it from side to side and then releasing it seconds before the snake strikes out at the smaller animal.

"This was the biology teacher, and he asked the kids if they wanted to see it. Everyone said yes, the kid brought in the snake and they did it. There was nothing wrong with it," said student Brittney Brown.

Some Trinity parents said they were disgusted after viewing the footage, and they let the administration know.

According to the school's administrator, several angry e-mails came into the school about the video.

However, some argue that what the students witnessed in the school's classroom was just nature at work.

"It might be something uncomfortable for people to watch, particularly animal lovers. However this is a natural phenomenon. The way the animal ate is completely normal," said Kristen Key of Jacksonville Animal Care and Control.

Key said there is abolutely nothing criminal going on in the video and that Animal Care and Control would not be pressing charges.

"There is nothing illegal we can tell from what we've seen. It's not illegal to own a python in Florida," Key said.

Legalities aside, some are questioning why students would watch the graphic demonstration.

"This is something that we are just beginning to become aware of," said Trinity Christian administrator Clayton Lindstam.

The administrator said he has not yet seen the video.

He said he knows some details about the classroom demonstration but because graduation was coming up, he would wait until Friday to begin an investigation.

"We have an incident after school, and I'm going to find out about it," Lindstam said.

He has called a school meeting to talk about what happened, but students who saw the python told Channel 4 they didn't have a problem with watching the feeding.

"No one felt threaten by it," said student Korey Stevenson. "It was pretty much, 'Hey, this is going to happen if you want to be there.' More people showed up than they thought would. Anyone who felt threatened by it left."

quote DragonMaster_Dyne

I couldn't even watch the video past 20 seconds or so. I was too disgusted by it.

quote Master Tenku

People need to toughen up, the pussies. People feed snakes mice every day yet nobody protests because mice are not as "cute" as pretty little bunnies.

quote gameboy613

What's wrong with this is that they mindlessly set up the experiment just for the hell of it, Master Tenku.

quote gameboy613

quote Master Tenku

People need to toughen up, the pussies. People feed snakes mice every day yet nobody protests because mice are not as "cute" as pretty little bunnies.

So can we throw you in a pit with hungry lions and let you get eaten and not care because you're not as cute as someone else?

People do that because mice are the snake's FOOD. If I'm not mistaken snakes don't eat rabbits but correct me if I'm wrong.

What's wrong with this is that they mindlessly set up the experiment just for the hell of it, Master Tenku.

Pythons do eat rabbits.

Look, this is completely appropriate to show at school. There is nothing wrong with it. I remember when my Science teacher would feed mice to his snake because it needed to be fed and we would watch it all the time. Because it was cool, and we actually observed how the whole thing happened.


I will say though that the kids kinda didn't handle it very well though. But hey, they're just teenagers and wanted to watch something that they've never seen in their life.

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Okrece Se Kolo Srece says:
my brother's friend used to go there
Okrece Se Kolo Srece says:
he got cancer, and it was so progressed, the doctors told him he wouldn't make it
Okrece Se Kolo Srece says:
the teachers at trinity christian told him it was God's punishment for him having a tattoo on his arm