1999 Darwin Awards

Poisonous Pets

1998 Darwin Award Winner
Confirmed True by Darwin

(June 1999, Delaware) Fifteen snakes were found in the vicinity of a decomposed body in Stanton on Tuesday. A neighbor complained about the smell, which led the discovery of eight rattlesnakes, two cobras, and the 3-day-old corpse.

The 45-year-old owner of the reptiles was found 10 feet from the open cage of a young Diamondback rattler. Apparently the man was feeding the snake when he was terminally bitten. Residents of the apartments were evacuated by the Delaware Animal Rescue team while a search was conducted for missing serpents.

Neighbors said they had no idea that the weird loner kept poisonous snakes. One neighbor named Leroy claimed, "The snake was standing straight up as it turned toward me. It was a cobra."

The SPCA notes that it's legal to keep deadly snakes, provided you apply for a permit.

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