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EmptySoulKeeper β Olive Python Attempting to Devour a Kitten
Published: 2013-08-10 06:09:29 +0000 UTC; Views: 125; Favourites: 0; Downloads: 0
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The photo happened a day after I relocated that olive python from a group of people. This happened at lunch time and was a sight that either the staff or myself have ever seen before. We are having major feral cat problems at the moment so this was an interesting sight to see. Sadly the cat was just a bit too big for the snake so the olive had to go on hungry.Related content
Comments: 60
Yeah. We only got the feral cat problem around the end of last year and pretty much most bird and lizard life has declined a fair bit. I've only been out here on the camping grounds property for 8 months now and it is a big worry. I know that the feral cats aren't just wreaking havoc over here. And I know most cat owners that have outdoor cats are to blame for contributing to these masacres. Unfortunately we can't really stop this as they breed like rabbits. We just deal with them the best way we can I guess. Our property is waay too big and we get a lot of guests camping here everyday so we are even more limited on how we can resolve this.
But anyway; back on the photo; it's only about a year and a bit old; still too small to eat that cat though; tried 5 times before leaving it. I have seen a bigger olive eating a joey wallaby earlier in the year.. It was pretty awesome how they can catch and eat such big prey. 
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I love all animals, but this happens everyday in the wild, and people shouldn't side with either the cat cause "it looks cute", or the snake, since it's "cooler". Both are animals with lives, and saying to kill one for the other will not help. I agree with EmptySoulKeeper that feral cats aren't native to Australia and is killing many of the endangered and endemic Australian animals. That I can't deny. But cats aren't "assholes"; they are only here because humans brought them here, in reality, they're only killing prey like they would in the wild (and here, by wild, I mean European Wildcats, Leopard Cats, Fishing Cats etc.) Instinct tells them to kill, and that is what they do. You can't persecute something for what nature has designed it to do. A lion has to hunt and eat; a whale has to migrate; a moth needs to find a mate and create the next generation in 2 days. And so forth. I don't mean to offend anyone, but rooting for cats just because they are the more cuddly and pettable, then say, pythons or local bandicoots and shrub-rats, is not a fair way to put it. These two species are behaving much as they would in the wild: if the cat had been the first to get the snake, the cat would've been the killer here. Here, it was the snake who got to the cat first, and so thus the snake is the killer. Neither are at fault, merely doing what their heads tell them to. It is the humans that are at fault for introducing cats, rats, foxes, rabbits, and all manners of undesired animals into the Australian wilderness, and not the fault of any animal. I hope someone will realize that soon.
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Yep it's how they survive; I don't like cats but I respect every living thing has to kill something else to live. It's the same with humans; we kill animals to eat; animals kill us to eat. A vicious cycle and one that humans kinda messed up a little on the way from transferring animals to foreign places. :3
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You would thinks humans would learn not to add or take species from ecosystems. But no, we still haven't. It's almost sad how we have mastered technology and made machines that can go to the Moon, and ones that can go to the deepest seas, but yet still have not learned that it's best not to tamper with ecosystems.Β
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Yup. We pretty much doomed the world we live in. Can't really stop it now though.
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Sadly, that's partly true 
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I suppose in a couple of hundred years they will. One of our snake species; the Keelback has adapted to eating small cane toads; they are immune to their venom. But our birds and other animals have learnt to flip them over; eating their bellies and staying away from the poison glands.
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I didn't know that!
That's quite good to hear
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Yeah; only thing though for the snake; it can't eat the massive cane toads as it overdoses on poison. D:
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Oh..
I hope the snake keeps adapting though. Australia still might recover from all the animals..it's got a lot of time
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That's if they don't all get eaten from this spot. A lot of animals we had in North-West Queensland are mostly gone; some have even completely vanished due to invasions of cats (plus other animals too; mainly cats though). Cat's eat up to about 12 species of animal a day; most of these animals are birds and reptiles though..
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The Outback is huge though- and animals need to be very hardy and specially evolved like Australia's to be able to survive. Do cats survive out there? I actually don't know.
Yeah, feral cats do wreck a lot of havoc, but the fault is still that of the humans who brought so many undesirable animals into the Australian wilds..
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Yeah. We have cats every where xD and I know. It's sad for the animals but what can we do?
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Yeah, I can kinda say people going into alleys in America to catch feral cats, but I can't see the same thing happening with the Outback.. XD
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Yeah xD we are too isolated; 4 hours drive from the nearest city. No one would wanna come out here just to trap and remove a feral cat. :3
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Oh, you're not in the cities?
Then you must see a lot of wildlife! 
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No. I used to live in the city but I'm now in the outback of Queensland, Australia. I see lots of wallabies; some kangaroos, emus, dingoes, snakes, fresh water crocodiles; haven't seen any possums yet; we have no quolls or bandicoots (I think) in the area I live in, lots of raptors; falcons, hawks, kites, wedge-tailed eagles etc. :3 Lots and lots of those. xD I play with the wild snakes too though; only the ones I know that aren't deadly
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That's really cool! I'm actually currently drawing a plate for Australian outback birds- Cockatoos, Corellas, Budgies, Wedgetails, and Emus. I need some mammals for the background and the billabong, and I have Red Kangaroo and Dromedary. I need a small one to sit on a rock in the foreground. Do you have any idea of what kind of small mammal is common in the outback?Β
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We have bilbies in the Northern Territory, I think we also have spinifex mice (if that's what they are called) I'm not sure on what else but I can look it up for you
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Oh, it's alright, I know what those are
Really, Bilbies? Like the thin-eared rabbit-looking marsupials with anteater noses? (I know that's not scientific, but wtv XD)
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Yeah but they are kinda endangered though. Oh and echidnas and platapus :3 Those are both small egg-laying mammals and oh so cute :3
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Yeah, the Greater is still endangered, and the Lesser is extinct sadly
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Hehe yeah
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But that's pretty cool!
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No I don't unfortunately. I don't get much of a chance to leave the camping grounds. As I work long hours and can't drive 
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Ah okay
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Haha yeah xD Well Bilbies aren't really seen in Queensland (the state I'm living in) but I would love to see them. Our Gouldian Finches however are found in North Queensland but are apparently now endangered up here so that would be a sight to see if I find any around..
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Oh, wild Gouldian Finches? That must be really cool!
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Yeah.. My dad, back in the city I'm from actually breeds them.. I might see if he is able to transport a couple up here. But yes; I'll prevail in trying to spot some around here xD
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Oh, cool!
Well, hope you do indeed, they are very cool birds
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They are good birds but bad parents xD How are you by the way?
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Ah, really? Didn't know that
No prob~
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Yeah; My dad just had some new clutches and a couple were pushed out of the nest. That's why if you breed them; you should have a pair of Zebra finches or another type of finch that are great carers.Β
I'm pretty good thanks.. Just tired after a long day of work~ xD
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Ah, okay
Ah, good to hear
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Hehe yeah; it's amazing how willing some birds are to rearing other birds' chicks
And yup. It's Winter but in the middle of the day it's been getting to like 35 degrees celcius+ xD
What's it like over there?
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Birds of often creatures of instinct- they see a begging baby bird, they feed it anyway
O.O Whoa. Winter for us is like almost 0-10..
It's okay, I'm in school~
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Hehe that would be cold. Does it snow where you are?
Β
Me too! xD I'm a Home Tutor
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Huh? Snow? No, I wish. It's still autumn.. it snowed a tiny bit last winter.
Ah ,okay
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Awww D: It doesn't snow where I am; I've never seen snow in my life xD
Yep xD It's weird being a teacher but it's also fun
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Well, Australia..isn't all that cold XD At least does'nt sound so in your area...
I would imagine! I would like to be a teacher when Β grow up, but frankly I have 0 patience with kids and they quickly tick me off some way or another..
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Haha xD Yeah; it only snows down south in New South Wales and all those other places there xD I'm too far up north.. xD
Haha yeah, well I don't want to be a teacher my whole life; just for a couple of years and then I'm moving to the States to study and then I want to deal with animals for the rest of my life
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Ah okay
Cool! I can understand why you want to work with animals later on
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Yeah; I just really specifically want to work with reptiles, mammals and birds of prey and also get into the sport of Falconry.
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Cool!
Falconry sounds cool, and working with such beautiful and majestic birds and getting to know them individually must be very rewarding~
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Yeah
I've always loved raptors; my favourites being the Sea eagle, Wedge-Tailed eagle and now recently the Harris Hawk~ I can't imagine how breathe taking falconry and training will be when working with the birds~
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Oh, okay
I'v always loved them too! My favorites are the White-bellied Sea Eagle (is that the one you were referring to?), the Imperial and the Gyr Falcon
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Yeah! We get the White-Breasted Sea Eagles here
Those falcons are awesome too
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Lucky..there aren't so many of them left in China, sadly
Yeah, they are. Once I saw a juvenile Peregrine fend off two Eastern Marsh Harriers at the same time. It would dive and scatter, fend off one with a rush and smash away the other with it's foot. Mind you, both harriers were adults, and the peregrine was a juvenile. The peregrine won.Β
Goshawks are cool too. I presume you mean Northern Goshawks? Or one of the Australian species?
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I guess all of them xD I haven't done too much research of them; just seen a few images around of some. :3
That's pretty awesome. You don't get to see that everyday especially since that Peregrine was only a juvenile.
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