Burmese Python — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Heiko Kiera
In the Big Cypress National Preserve in South Florida, local hunters this week captured a 19-foot Burmese python, the biggest one ever measured. To put the catch in perspective, consider that the snake is the same height as an adult giraffe.
Jake Waleri, 22, who is from Naples, caught it on Monday and took it to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida there, according to the conservancy. The snake, which was 19 feet long and 125 pounds, according to local officials, broke the previous record for length.
The python can be seen lunging towards Waleri as he drags the snake into the road by its tail in a video of his world-record-breaking catch posted on Instagram. Before others joined in to assist in removing the snake from the hunter, Waleri and the snake grappled on the ground.
One of the biggest snakes in the earth is the Burmese python. Additionally, they are an invasive species that has taken over most of southern Florida. Because they have no natural predators in Florida, where they are wreaking havoc on the native animal populations, Waleri spends his nights going after these gigantic predators.
“It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment,” he said in the news release. “We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”
The previous record was achieved in 2020 by an Everglades python that was 18 feet 9 inches long and weighed 104 pounds. According to the Conservancy, a Burmese python it caught in June 2022 weighing a massive 215 pounds set the record for the largest one ever to be captured.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission claims that because of the serious threat that these pythons pose, both hunters and locals are allowed to kill them. Anti-cruelty rules, however, which mandate that hunters kill snakes humanely, safeguard the reptiles.
Burmese pythons eat a wide variety of Florida species, including foxes, white-tailed deer, rabbits, and domestic pets. Additionally, a 2022 Instagram video depicts scientists in Florida extracting a 5-foot alligator from an 18-foot python during a necropsy.
In an effort to control population growth, the state sponsors the Florida Python Challenge every year. Both amateur and professional hunters enter the sport, contending for cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.