17-foot python caught in Florida Everglades

Trapper received nasty bite while wrestling female python

CNN, Newsource

Published: June 15, 2020 at 2:49 PM

A wildlife trapper known as the Python Cowboy caught a 17-foot python in the Florida Everglades, and he’s got the photos to prove it.

Last week, Mike Kimmel went out to a secluded island where he spotted alligator droppings.

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He came upon what he said looked like an extra large python that made his heart pound.

After a brief wrestle and a nasty bite, Kimmel was able to grab the female snake’s head.

He dragged her back to his boat, where he euthanized her.

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My birthday present came a week early this year 😂. If you haven’t already: Click the LINK in MY BIO to watch how I captured this beast of a Burmese python in the wild! Pythons are a highly invasive nonnative species in the Florida Everglades where they have already decimated over 90% of the local, native small mammals like raccoons, otters, marsh rabbits, squirrels and so much more. That’s why the state of Florida has hired independent contractors such as myself to go out into the swamp and remove them! Big that’s just the tip of this cypress knee... I’m dealing with iguanas, monitors, tegus, Egyptian geese, caiman, feral hogs and everything in between! Follow along with my efforts to restore our natural balance by watching my IG story/posts and subscribing to my YouTube. You can also help my conservation work and wildlife rescue by buying merchandise or products off my website pythoncowboy.com if able! Thanks so much for the continued support y’all, means the world to us!! #trappermike #invasivespecies #savetheglades #conservation #pythoncowboy #martincountytrapping #martincountyrescue #florida #hunting #crazy #wildlife #outdoors #whatgetsyououtdoors #python #pythonsofinstagram #floridahunting #floridawildlife #everglades #gladesmen #handcaught

A post shared by Trapper Mike (@pythoncowboy) on Jun 15, 2020 at 8:19am PDT

Kimmel is waiting on state authorities for an official measurement, but when he measured the snake at home, it was about 17 feet long and weighs at least 130 pounds.

Kimmel plans to sell the snake’s skin on his website.

He said he will also receive a payment from Florida’s Python Action Team, which pays people to remove the invasive species.

Pythons began turning up in the Everglades in the 1980s, most likely abandoned by pet owners or some may have escaped from a breeding facility destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Now, wildlife officials estimate there might be as many as 100,000 pythons living in the Everglades.