Dan Brandon was an experienced snake handler, and his friends report that you’d be hard-pressed to find a picture of Brandon without him holding a snake or involved with some type of wildlife. However, the 31-year-old was found dead in his apartment this week, and the cause of death is asphyxiation, according to the authorities.
Brandon was found dead in his bedroom with his pet python out of its pen. According to Fox News, an investigation is underway regarding whether the python possibly strangled its owner to death. If this snake did kill its owner, the Telegraph reports that this would be the first death of its kind in the U.K.
Brandon was found with “serious injuries” in his Church Crookham, Hampshire, home, where he lived with his parents. He was discovered dead in his bedroom, which is where he kept his pet snakes along with other pets.
According to the Telegraph , it is thought that the snake “crushed” Brandon to death, after it was found that Brandon died of asphyxia. The evidence will be presented to Andrew Bradley, who is the coroner. This will happen within the next few days, and the coroner will make the conclusions on what caused Brandon’s death.
Snake handler found dead next to his pet python WAS strangled, post mortem reveals https://t.co/FFh8RzQyfy
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) September 25, 2017
Police confirmed that their investigation is underway on behalf of the coroner. The police are also waiting for the full toxicology report and the results of other post-mortem tests. Pythons are large and very strong, but they are non-venomous snakes. The species has been known to attack people if they feel threatened.
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The Sun reports the death of Dan Brandon “is under investigation whether the snake was involved. The death is in an investigation stage between natural causes and an inquest.” Brandon’s friend, John Cottrell, has set up JustGiving fundraising pages in Brandon’s memory. Both pages benefit charities having to do with wildlife.
While looking for pictures to bring to the funeral home for display during Brandon’s services, his friends couldn’t find a photo of him alone. He is pictured with his many snakes and other pets. His Facebook page is also full of pictures of Brandon and his snakes.
[Featured Image by Teevit Lertchaturaporn/Shutterstock]
