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Photo at URL below

LAKE COUNTY NEWS SUN (Waukegan, Illinois) 03 November 06 Zoo says snake parts don't belong to record python (Jim Newton)
Photo: Record sized Burmese Python 'Baby' is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest snake ever held in captivity, with its owner Lou Daddono at Serpent Safari in Gurnee. (Sun-Times)
The discovery of severed segments of a large snake on a wooded property in Warren Township remained a mystery Thursday after the owner of Serpent Safari dismissed claims that the remains were Baby, a record Burmese python once displayed at the zoo in Gurnee Mills.
Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call Sunday evening from a resident of the 35500 block of Knowles Road regarding the discovery of a large "snake tail" in the wooded area.
According to sheriff's reports, the snake segment was five feet long and nine inches in diameter.
After several interviews, two men were eventually charged with illegal dumping in regard to the incident.
One of the men, Kevin Curtis of Lake Villa, told officers he worked at Serpent Safari and the remains belonged to Baby. According to sheriff's reports, he said the snake had died during surgery and that the remains were left for coyotes in hopes of avoiding negative publicity.
Serpent Safari Owner Lou Daddano confirmed Curtis was a temporary employee, but said Thursday that Baby actually died about a year ago. He said Baby was cremated and that he still has the cremation papers.
Daddano also said that no large snakes were missing from his zoo.
Baby was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest snake in captivity at 403 pounds. It also was 27 feet long when the subject of a 2003 story in The News-Sun.
Daddano said the five-foot segment mentioned in the sheriff's report indicates that the remains probably belonged to a snake that would be too large to be legally kept by a non-licensed person.
Also arrested and charged with illegal dumping was Randall Frolich of Libertyville, according to reports.
Other sections of the dead snake were also located in the wooded area and disposed of properly after Lake County Animal Control officials told sheriff's deputies the remains could be harmful to animals that might eat them.
Sgt. Christopher Thompson of the sheriff's office said the incident is still under investigation.
Zoo says snake parts don't belong to record python

I saw this on the front page of my paper this morning...I've been skeptical of Serpent Safari for many years due to their seemingly shady dealings, lack of knowledgeable staff and over commercialization of reptiles (and before anyone calls me a hypocrite since I run a reptile zoo/museum/nature center, I DON'T charge a dime to see my place). To have a staff person dump the body of the very animal that has brought you fame and fortune is ridiculous...but, there are lots of holes in this story. Bottom line is that "Baby" deserved a better funeral and at the very least, she should have been properly incinerated by a licensed veterinary facility/crematorium.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>Photo at URL below
>>
>>LAKE COUNTY NEWS SUN (Waukegan, Illinois) 03 November 06 Zoo says snake parts don't belong to record python (Jim Newton)
>> Photo: Record sized Burmese Python 'Baby' is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest snake ever held in captivity, with its owner Lou Daddono at Serpent Safari in Gurnee. (Sun-Times)
>>The discovery of severed segments of a large snake on a wooded property in Warren Township remained a mystery Thursday after the owner of Serpent Safari dismissed claims that the remains were Baby, a record Burmese python once displayed at the zoo in Gurnee Mills.
>>Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a call Sunday evening from a resident of the 35500 block of Knowles Road regarding the discovery of a large "snake tail" in the wooded area.
>>According to sheriff's reports, the snake segment was five feet long and nine inches in diameter.
>>After several interviews, two men were eventually charged with illegal dumping in regard to the incident.
>>One of the men, Kevin Curtis of Lake Villa, told officers he worked at Serpent Safari and the remains belonged to Baby. According to sheriff's reports, he said the snake had died during surgery and that the remains were left for coyotes in hopes of avoiding negative publicity.
>>Serpent Safari Owner Lou Daddano confirmed Curtis was a temporary employee, but said Thursday that Baby actually died about a year ago. He said Baby was cremated and that he still has the cremation papers.
>>Daddano also said that no large snakes were missing from his zoo.
>> Baby was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest snake in captivity at 403 pounds. It also was 27 feet long when the subject of a 2003 story in The News-Sun.
>>Daddano said the five-foot segment mentioned in the sheriff's report indicates that the remains probably belonged to a snake that would be too large to be legally kept by a non-licensed person.
>>Also arrested and charged with illegal dumping was Randall Frolich of Libertyville, according to reports.
>> Other sections of the dead snake were also located in the wooded area and disposed of properly after Lake County Animal Control officials told sheriff's deputies the remains could be harmful to animals that might eat them.
>>Sgt. Christopher Thompson of the sheriff's office said the incident is still under investigation.
>>Zoo says snake parts don't belong to record python
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Hi Rob -

When Lou first showed up on the scene with "Baby" at a local herp society educational show, he made a dramatic entrance in a Corvette with the snake LOOSE in the car and proceed to parade it into the place where it was being exhibited carried aloft by a number of teenage boys. I actually heard one of his "staff" claim that the snake weighed 600 pounds! - this at a time when it was clearly no larger than a 200 pound Burmese that was being shown in the same location.

-Joan

Rob, do you know hw old baby was. I had seen pics of her since the early 90's. Even though she was a remarkable animal, in my opinion she is a perfect example of the long term effects of powerfeeding. She had the best(worse)case of pinhead I have ever scene. Todd

I've been talking to reporters all day over this story (along with other people involved). Although things are very sketchy, Lou does claim that Baby was incinerated over a year ago and this was not Baby....the investigation will tell us more.

>>Rob, do you know hw old baby was. I had seen pics of her since the early 90's. Even though she was a remarkable animal, in my opinion she is a perfect example of the long term effects of powerfeeding. She had the best(worse)case of pinhead I have ever scene. Todd
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I had the same sentiments after visiting Serpent Safari... cool place, but walking around with and selling snakes like anacondas in a mall is very poor for the industry and not to mention $20 for photo with the snakes - all the animals were in good shape - EXCEPT the iguanas, 3 albino males kept together with many missing toes and scars, likely from fighting - anys i'm sure baby was WAY overfed and she surely didn't meet her normal life expectancy no matter how old she was

even if they didn't want to pay to cremate her - they could've buried her instead of taking such a poor course of action -

i do have to say that they had an awesome alligator snapper that was found to have a civil war musket lodged in it's shell - he was in good shape and huge, but his tank was pretty small

For what it's worth in the matter of her being cremated over a year ago, I saw "Baby" with my own eyes Dec. 26th of 05'. The only reason I remember the exact date is because I was in Gurnee for my aunt's annual Christmas party that is always the day after.

LAKE COUNTY NEWS SUN (Waukegan, Illinois) 04 November 06 Snake in the grass - Dumped python was Serpent Safari's Baby (Jim Newton)
Gurnee: A day after telling The News-Sun his prize snake died a year ago and been cremated, the owner of Serpent Safari told authorities the snake instead died Sunday and was disposed of by employees.
Lake County sheriff's deputies said Friday the mammoth snake parts found in a wooded area of Warren Township on Sunday were indeed the remains of Burmese python Baby, who was once listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the heaviest snake in captivity at 403 pounds.
Sgt. Christopher Thompson said Lou Daddano, owner of Serpent Safari in Gurnee Mills, told investigators the python, believed to be over 27 years old, was diagnosed in October with "the snake form of heart disease."
Thompson said Daddano told officers that following surgery last Thursday, the snake died Sunday morning. Daddano also said that when employees offered to dispose of the snake, he agreed, but didn't realize they planned to cut it up, Thompson said.
In an interview with The News-Sun on Thursday, Daddano denied the snake remains belonged to Baby, and had said that Baby had died a about a year ago and been cremated.
Attempts to reach Daddano for comment Friday were unsuccessful.
Two men, Kevin Curtis of Lake Villa and Randall Frolich of Libertyville, have been charged with illegal dumping in connection with Baby's remains.
According to sheriff's reports, Curtis told officers Sunday the snake remains were left in the wooded area for coyotes in hopes of avoiding negative publicity.
The snake parts were found on the property of Knowles Road resident Jerry Lange. Lange said he and a group of friends were touring his 10-acre property Sunday around 3:30 p.m. when one of the group stumbled upon a five-foot section of the snake.
Lange said he become suspicious earlier in the day when Curtis borrowed his uncle's van and drove to the backwoods area at around noon.
Dumped python was Serpent Safari's Baby

I feel so much better. I was about to file a class action law suit against serpent safari for the $7.25 X 3 I spent on myself, my mom, and my girlfriend to see the worlds largest snake this summer.

The stories yesterday made me think we really didn't see the worlds largest snake and it died over a year ago. I was like...that doesn't make sense...their fact informed staff with vast high school play experience would never mess up a line that big during their tour...and they said the snake we saw was "Baby, the world's largest snake certified by guiness in 1999 at 403 lbs and around 27 ft."

Boy did the press mess this story up!

If I was Serpent Safari I would be demandig reprints on yesterdays papers because stupid reporters can never get anything right.

Come on...5 ft tail section weighing 240 lbs. Who could even think of something that stupid.

>>Boy did the press mess this story up!
>>
>>If I was Serpent Safari I would be demandi[n]g reprints on yesterdays papers because stupid reporters can never get anything right.

How do you figure that?

"A day after telling The News-Sun his prize snake died a year ago and been cremated, the owner of Serpent Safari told authorities the snake instead died Sunday and was disposed of by employees."

In other words, the idiot owner lied. And his lie was so weak it only held up for 24 hours. How is that a media issue?

Thanks for the correction on my typo

But being a little on the defense when you read my post made you miss the sarcasm.

The comment on this being a reporter error was tongue-in-cheek. My girlfriend is a reporter in the area this occured. We will see what holes can be filled when their article is printed.

>>Thanks for the correction on my typo

You are welcome!

>>But being a little on the defense when you read my post made you miss the sarcasm.

No, I am not a journalist, hence I had nothing to be defensive about in your post. And yes, I wondered whether I should impute sarcasm to your words and so take them at other than face value. I feel, however, that it is the job of the writer to be clear enough that the intended audience is not easily confused. Comprehension of online expression is tough enough, don't you think?

And back to the Baby story - You know, all of us who have kept animals of any species as captives, be they herps, cats, dogs or whatever, have been faced with the issue of what to do with their bodies when they die. Not knowing much more than what I've read so far about this case, I'm just totally unimpressed with Lou Daddono's lying about his disposal of his money-making python. Pretty sleezy.

Joan, it's about as low as low can get in my book. Even after this story made front page in all of the area papers their business doesn't appear to be missing a beat. Folks are still piling in, forking over $$ to get that "expert" guided tour from a kid whose probably not even potty trained yet and then walking out with a cute little sulcata that will never outgrow the 10 gallon tank that they purchased because of the "expert" advice that they got from that incredibly gifted staff How's that for sarcasm. On a serious note, I do hope that the investigation shows enough evidence of gross irresponsibility that they shut the place down...it probably won't but I can only hope. To dispose of the very animal that brought that place fame and fortune in the way that Lou did was very, very disappointing. That snake deserved a much more dignified end. When we lost our Big Bertha (a 20' 285 pound burm), we had to box her up and take her to the vet to have her cremated. It cost quite a bit of money to cremate an animal of this size but that's the responsibility that we take when keep herps. Hopefully, something good will happen from this but I have a feeling that S.S. will just find a way to glorify and sensationalize the story and mold it into their tour;....pretty sick.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center

>>>>Thanks for the correction on my typo
>>
>>You are welcome!
>>
>>>>But being a little on the defense when you read my post made you miss the sarcasm.
>>
>>No, I am not a journalist, hence I had nothing to be defensive about in your post. And yes, I wondered whether I should impute sarcasm to your words and so take them at other than face value. I feel, however, that it is the job of the writer to be clear enough that the intended audience is not easily confused. Comprehension of online expression is tough enough, don't you think?
>>
>>And back to the Baby story - You know, all of us who have kept animals of any species as captives, be they herps, cats, dogs or whatever, have been faced with the issue of what to do with their bodies when they die. Not knowing much more than what I've read so far about this case, I'm just totally unimpressed with Lou Daddono's lying about his disposal of his money-making python. Pretty sleezy.
>>
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Alright...vast high school play experience...not even potty trained yet. I guess the sarcasm is a bit more clear in the latter. Potato Potato right??? Hmmm, maybe expression can be a bit more difficult on the internet.

You also need to understand Rob...by letting people get their picture taken with a boa constrictor or albino burmese python for only 20$...they are not only getting a rare experience of a lifetime, but getting over a fear of snakes.

Think of how many people are getting rid of their snake fear by buying these pictures and then seeing their tour...starting with the skin and head of the big man eating python that killed the owner.

There you go with the sarcasm again....why stop at $20, they should charge at least $50 for the kind of expertise that this place exudes at every corner...and the way those kids memorize those lines is simply amazing; gosh, they must be professional herpetologists (and I bet they can spell H-E-R-P-E-T-O-L-O-G-I-S-T too!).

>>Alright...vast high school play experience...not even potty trained yet. I guess the sarcasm is a bit more clear in the latter. Potato Potato right??? Hmmm, maybe expression can be a bit more difficult on the internet.
>>
>>You also need to understand Rob...by letting people get their picture taken with a boa constrictor or albino burmese python for only 20$...they are not only getting a rare experience of a lifetime, but getting over a fear of snakes.
>>
>>Think of how many people are getting rid of their snake fear by buying these pictures and then seeing their tour...starting with the skin and head of the big man eating python that killed the owner.
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I went and read the story of how she was introduced to a reporter and how he was lead on a tour of his home and shown the awesome enclosures he had so on and so forth, even THAT story was enough to raise hairs on my neck because of the complete lack of respect he had for the animal to feed his two snakes without a second person present, but that's another story. What irks me the most is she was his "beloved pet" for so many years and when she passed away, he just said take care of it to some kid who then chopped her into pieces. What kind of a person does that to a pet who he's had for this long? She brought home the bacon, not him, she paid for her living, not him, she brought in the money, not him. That so called place should by all rights be shut down for disposing of such an animal in such a horrible way. I betcha if one of their (the butchers) dogs had been the one to pass on, they certainly wouldn't have chopped it up for coyotes. UGH, i'm just so disgusted!

I couldn't agree with your thoughts more. just because he didn't do the killing dosen't mean he shouldn't be punished. Charles Manson didn't kill anyone but he's in jail and thats where this guy belongs.

"I saw this on the front page of my paper this morning...I've been skeptical of Serpent Safari for many years due to their seemingly shady dealings, lack of knowledgeable staff and over commercialization of reptiles"

"I've been skeptical of Serpent Safari for many years"

Seems you were right,

"Serpent Safari Owner Lou Daddano confirmed Curtis was a temporary employee, but said Thursday that Baby actually died about a year ago. He said Baby was cremated and that he still has the cremation papers."

Now he is saying;

"Gurnee: A day after telling The News-Sun his prize snake died a year ago and been cremated, the owner of Serpent Safari told authorities the snake instead died Sunday and was disposed of by employees."

So What papers did he have??????????

So yet, another black eye for all of us burm keepers.

-----
Please...
Keep an OPEN MIND, You'll be AMAZED...

I don't know if its a black eye for burm keepers but rather a black eye for reptile parks whose only motivation and purpose is to make money and commercialize reptiles for purely selfish reasons. There are some, no, MANY, incredible facilities in the U.S. and while they may make money, their mission is education whereas Serpent Safari is all about the glam and glitz and profits; lots of pizzazz w/out any substance, education or factual information.

>>"I saw this on the front page of my paper this morning...I've been skeptical of Serpent Safari for many years due to their seemingly shady dealings, lack of knowledgeable staff and over commercialization of reptiles"
>>
>>
>>"I've been skeptical of Serpent Safari for many years"
>>
>>Seems you were right,
>>
>> "Serpent Safari Owner Lou Daddano confirmed Curtis was a temporary employee, but said Thursday that Baby actually died about a year ago. He said Baby was cremated and that he still has the cremation papers."
>>
>>Now he is saying;
>>
>>"Gurnee: A day after telling The News-Sun his prize snake died a year ago and been cremated, the owner of Serpent Safari told authorities the snake instead died Sunday and was disposed of by employees."
>>
>>
>>So What papers did he have??????????
>>
>>So yet, another black eye for all of us burm keepers.
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Please...
>>Keep an OPEN MIND, You'll be AMAZED...
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

So Baby 'IS' dead. I asked that question 2 weeks ago and was told she is still alive. I was actually planning a trip. Well good thing I didnt already buy my tickets.

and put it on display so people could get really close

DAILY HERALD (Arlington Heights, Illinois) 03 November 06 A giant snake mystery - Disposal of Gurnee snake leads to arrest, investigation (Mick Zawislak, Freida Gad contributed to this report.)
Baby, described as the largest snake in the world, has died at age 29. The cause of death and what became of her 403-pound body is something of a mystery, however, and police are on the case.
"Somebody's going to have to answer to that," said Sgt. Christopher Thompson, spokesman for the Lake County sheriff's office.
Police became involved Sunday after a resident in an unincorporated area near Gurnee reported seeing two men dumping something in a wooded area behind a home off Knowles Road.
Investigators found a 5-foot-long, 240-pound tail and the rest of the remains of a snake.
Kevin R. Curtis, 20, of Lake Villa and Randall W. Frolich, 21, of Lindenhurst were arrested and charged with illegal dumping, a misdemeanor. Police said the pair admitted cutting up and dumping the snake. They were released after posting $100 bond and receiving a Nov. 16 court date.
Police said the men identified the snake as Baby, a headliner at the Serpent Safari reptile zoo in Gurnee Mills.
The 27-foot-long Burmese python was certified in 1999 by Guinness World Records as the largest in the world. It was still named on the Gurnee Mills Web site Thursday as an attraction among other rare and giant reptiles.
According to police, Curtis, a Serpent Safari employee, said the snake died during an operation, and he was instructed to dispose of the animal.
The police report identified the snake remains as that of an anaconda, which is a type of python. Gurnee police said no snakes had been reported stolen.
Neither Serpent Safari owner Lou Daddono nor marketing vice president Joan Singer were available for comment Thursday. An employee at Serpent Safari said Baby had a stroke last week and died Sunday. She thought Daddono had her.
Thompson said there are blanks in the story that need to be filled.
Investigators "will be looking into this a bit further to make sure the death was on the up and up," he said. So what happened to the remains found in the woods?
"Due to the possibility surgery was conducted on the animal and narcotics or tranquilizers could have been in the snake's system, animal control removed the remains," Thompson said.
There also is some confusion on that score.
"We were not the ones who disposed of the snake," said Leslie Piotrowski, spokeswoman for the Lake County Health Department. "It's a strange, strange story."
Dumping the snake in the woods violates state law regarding the disposal of dead animals. An owner has 24 hours to do so and there are several acceptable methods.
"The reaction is the most puzzling. If it was an elderly snake and happened to die during a medical procedure, if you properly dispose of it, there is no problem," said Jeff Squibb, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
Thompson said police hadn't heard from Serpent Safari as of Thursday afternoon.
"It's a very unique case and I certainly hope when we get to the bottom of this thing, the way the animal was treated was decent," he said.
Disposal of Gurnee snake leads to arrest, investigation

"an anaconda is a type of python." no disrespect intended, but i think that the police need to consult a real herpetologist-and not that fool lou daddano...

anaconda a type of python.
WOW