Fact Check

Giant Pythons Discovered in Salt Creek in Brown and Monroe County Indiana?

A story claiming that giant pythons were discovered in an Indiana creek originated on a "prank" web site.

Published July 3, 2017

Claim:
Giant pythons were discovered in a small creek in Indiana.

A Facebook appearing to link to a genuine news item reporting that giant pythons were discovered in Salt Creek, a tributary of the White River in Indiana, fooled many in July 2017:

However, the link leads to the web site BreakingNews247.net, a prank web site that allows users to easily create their own fake news stories:

The web site carries a disclaimer stating that its content is fictional and meant to be humorous:  

This website is an entertainment website, news are created by users. These are humourous news, fantasy, fictional, that should not be seriously taken or as a source of information.

In addition to the dubious source of this story, the attached photograph actually shows a 15-foot python on a nature reserve in Kenya, Africa -- nowhere near Indiana.

Sources

Siciliano, Leon.   "Watch: Huge Python Eats an Gazelle in Kenya." Telegraph.   8 December 2014.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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