These photographs of a large snake that has died after being caught in an electric fence have been circulating via email since 2005. The photographs are genuine. However, in most versions of the email, the description that accompanies the images is inaccurate.
The version discussed here claims that the snake was caught on an Australian sheep farm after the owner put up an electric fence to kerb the mysterious disappearance of some of his sheep. A number of other versions have similar cover stories set in different areas of the world.
In fact, the photographs were taken on the Silent Valley Game Ranch in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A web page on the game ranch website explains:
The snake in this picture had eaten a full grown Impala ewe and, sadly, caught itself in an electric fence.
Over four metres in length, this was a large specimen. When the python was skinned we found a full grown Impala ewe had just been swallowed.
