It’s no secret that Florida has a massive problem with Burmese pythons, an extremely invasive species in the Sunshine State with no natural predators.
Since the 1990s when it was believed the creatures were first exposed in the state, the species has multiplied by the thousands and they pose a threat to the natural wildlife.
So, tons of python hunters have made it a priority to try and eliminate as much of the species as they possibly can.
With that being said, one group of snake hunters set out to wrangle up some monster reptiles back on July 10th, and took down a MASSIVE 19-foot long Burmese python, shattering the state record for the longest python ever bagged in the state. And not only the state record… the broke the Burmese python world record as well.
It all went down around 1 AM in South Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve, when 22-year-old Jake Waleri of Naples wrangled up the creature.
Waleri weighed in on the epic catch:
“We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science.
It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment. We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”
CSFW biologist Ian Easterling shared in a press release:
“We had a feeling that these snakes get this big and now we have clear evidence. Her genetic material may prove valuable for an eventual understanding of the founding population of South Florida.
We will be collecting measurements and samples that will be distributed to our research collaborators.”
And now, we officially have video footage of the record setting catch.
In the video, you can see Waleri grab the 19-footer, and drag it out into the road. The python then proceeds to lunge at Waleri, but he’s able to grab the snake by the head as it sits there with its mouth wide open.
As snake hunter wrestles with this big girl, she starts to coil her body around him to try and put the squeeze on him, but with the help of his crew, he’s able to get back to his feet.
You can see how hard Waleri is fighting, and also just how big this creature is.
Check it out:
