It was amazing to watch the ‘Giant Snake’ story spread across the Internet. It, however, did not come without a little controversy. The original title, ‘Body found in giant snake’, was considered misleading by a few readers.

To purists of the English language, the definition of “body” used in this context is very clear: the physical structure, including the bones, flesh, and organs of a person or an animal.

But in the cold light of day, it is clear that this use of the word “body” would lead the average reader to the automatic assumption that it was a “human body”. Thus making the original headline clearly misleading to many.

An interesting lesson in English and a clear warning to us all that sensationalism should never ever distort the facts.

That said, the story was a resounding success for Ladysmith, featuring on many international and local websites.