Just seeing a snake is enough to send chills down the spines of many people. So imagine how you’d react seeing a baby playing with a snake.

Just imagining it is probably enough to scare most parents. But snake handler Jamie Guarino is the father of this little girl named Alyssa, who was only 18-months-old when her father captured this footage of her cuddling with family pet Nay-Nay.

And Jamie insists there’s nothing to be afraid of!

snake

Photo courtesy of Barcroft TV.

“I was trying to show that snakes are not evil creatures, they can be a loving pet despite their bad reputation,” the 34-year-old tells Barcroft TV of the footage from early 2012. “My daughter was absolutely in no danger.”

He says people react to animals like Nay-Nay with “fear and negativity” — and he’s determined to understand why.

Alyssa, now 3, and 10-year-old sister Krista play with Nay-Nay. Photo courtesy of Barcroft TV.

“To those of you who might see this as irresponsible or dangerous, please don’t judge me based on fear or something you don’t understand. Snakes can be and are loving animals,” Jamie insists.

“If you research the facts, there are 95-percent more dog attacks than snakes. My daughter was absolutely in no danger.”

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