This python made this hunter work for his pay!
When one thinks of invasive species, they probably think of feral hogs, Asian carp or snakehead fish. Many people forget that the state of Florida has a serious python problem. Big Burmese pythons to be precise. The giant snakes are not native and have managed to establish an extensive foothold in the Everglades. That is bad news for the wildlife since these animals have been documented to prey on deer, raccoons and other native wildlife. In some areas they have nearly wiped these animals out.
Florida's solution to the problem is to hire professional snake hunters to go into the swamps and eliminate these snakes. In this video, this hunter is out alone, combing an island for invasive snakes when he comes across the biggest python he has ever seen.
This monstrous, 17-foot snake does NOT come quietly. This snake ends up getting a bite in on the hunter and what happens next is a test of strength and will between human and reptile. This is a battle you simply must see to believe. Be warned, those squeamish of blood might want to look away.
Bar none, this was the wildest snake hunting video we have ever seen here at Wide Open Spaces and we have seen some crazy ones in the past. This snake was nearly 130 pounds of pure muscle. The hunter posted more photos of the snake on his Instagram later. In those posts, he revealed the snake's official length to be a staggering 17 feet, 7-inches in length.
The amount of blood loss he suffered in this encounter was jaw-dropping. While pythons are not venomous, they do have razor-sharp teeth. I can attest to this personally. My brother owned a tiny ball python many years ago and I once took a single fang to the thumb that bled profusely. I cannot even imagine how much this bite had to hurt.
Unsurprisingly, it turns out that this snake is a new state record for a Burmese python caught in the Everglades of Florida. That is one huge snake and there is no doubt this animal would have been capable of killing a deer. Nice job on getting this invasive animal out of the swamps sir!
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
NEXT: SIG SAUER CROSS RIFLE FOLDS THE GAP BETWEEN TACTICAL, HUNTING PURPOSES
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