Break in here and you'll be hissstory

[Amanzi]

Dave D'Aguiar wants to squeeze crime out of his neighbourhood.

He's starting with a four-metre, 20kg Burmese python that guards his home Plattekloof, Cape Town, while he's away on holiday.

His 12-year-old pet snake, Julia Squeezer, along with two other pythons named Snakespeare and Jack the Gripper, regularly slither around D'Aguiar's house and jukebox factory. Add to this his two puffadders, and D'Aguiar has a complete security team.
"'There's a madman running around with snakes' - it's the kind of story that gets around," he said.

D'Aguiar doesn't rely on reptiles alone for his security; he also has an alarm and armed response.

He even founded the Plattekloof Homeowners Association in January, after a neighbour was held up at gunpoint.

Still, D'Aguiar's snakes attract attention. He hasn't had a break-in since he got Julia 12 years ago.

"Whenever there's a break-in, it's a result of a little inside information. If there's going to be a house they're going to avoid, it's going to be mine."

The snakes take a lot of work to keep. D'Aguiar feeds Julia up to six rabbits at once every three to six weeks. The adders eat big rats.

D'Aguiar has been bitten by either Snakespeare or Jack the Gripper between 15 and 20 times, but he can't figure out which one it is because they look alike. He'll get rid of the culprit once he figures it out.

Snakes aren't for every home, though. D'Aguiar said: "If I had to recommend that everybody should get snakes, then there would be a lot of half-eaten bodies lying around and a lot of fat snakes."



This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on 11 April 2003

[bfez1]

I am petrified of snakes

[stormraiser]

Ahem, forget stealing, that man wouldn't have to worry about me even paying him a visit. I HATE SNAKES!!!!

[breeze]

LoL, Bron, an old friend of mine tells of knowing a
young couple in NYC that had a "pet" Great Horned Owl.
The loft apartment had rafters, and, the owl settled
in them. Being the great raptor that it is, if you were
a guest in the house, you had to wear a motorbike helmet
if you got up to get something out of the 'fridge and such...
he recalls hearing a great "swoop" of it's wings, and, a
huge THUD as it attempted to nail you with it's razor-sharp
talons! Needless to say, the apartment occupants had many
a story of burglaries gone awry!

[Amanzi]

OH my goodness Breeze. Guess you just have to bypass the midnight snack if you get peckish in the middle of the night!

[breeze]

LoL, I would have been hiding snacks under the covers!