A 19-foot Burmese python — the longest ever recorded — was caught by local hunters in South Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve this week. To put the catch into perspective, the snake is as long as an adult giraffe is tall.
It was caught on Monday by 22-year-old Jake Waleri, who brought the python to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in his hometown of Naples, the conservancy said. Officials there measured the snake at 19 feet and 125 pounds, and said it set a new world record for length.
A video of Waleri’s record-breaking catch on Instagram shows the python lunging at Waleri as he pulls the snake onto the road by its tail. Waleri and the snake wrestled on the ground until others joined in to help peel the snake off the hunter.
Burmese pythons are one of the largest snakes on the planet. They’re also an invasive species running rampant through much of southern Florida. They’re wreaking havoc on the state’s native animal populations because the pythons have no natural predators in Florida, which is why Waleri spends his nights hunting these monstrous 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 set in 2020, by a python caught in the Everglades stretching 18-feet-9-inches and weighing 104 pounds. The record for the heaviest Burmese python ever captured was set by one caught by the Conservancy in June 2022, at a whopping 215 pounds, the conservancy said.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, these pythons pose such a big threat that hunters and residents alike don’t need a permit to kill them. The reptiles are, however, protected by anti-cruelty laws, which require hunters to humanely kill the snakes.
Burmese pythons feast on Florida wildlife big and small, from rabbits and house pets to foxes and white-tailed deer. And one Instagram clip from 2022 shows Florida scientists removing a 5-foot-long alligator from an 18-foot python during a necropsy.
The state hosts an annual competition, the Florida Python Challenge, in efforts to keep the populations at bay. The competition attracts professional hunters and armatures alike, competing for prize money ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.
OVERVIEW
OnMyWay Is The #1 Distracted Driving Mobile App In The Nation!
OnMyWay, based in Charleston, SC, The Only Mobile App That Pays its Users Not to Text and Drive.
The #1 cause of death among young adults ages 16-27 is Car Accidents, with the majority related to Distracted Driving.
OnMyWay’s mission is to reverse this epidemic through positive rewards. Users get paid for every mile they do not text and drive and can refer their friends to get compensated for them as well.
The money earned can then be used for Cash Cards, Gift Cards, Travel Deals and Much, Much More….
The company also makes it a point to let users know that OnMyWay does NOT sell users data and only tracks them for purposes of providing a better experience while using the app.
The OnMyWay app is free to download and is currently available on both the App Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android @ OnMyWay; Drive Safe, Get Paid.
Download App Now – https://r.onmyway.com
Sponsors and advertisers can contact the company directly through their website @ www.onmyway.com