Florida Wildlife Experts Capture Record-Breaking Burmese Python Taller Than a Giraffe.
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.
Read More: Contraceptive Breakthrough: FDA Allows Over-the-Counter Availability of Birth Control Pill
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.
In the press release, he added, “It’s fantastic to be able to have an effect on South Florida’s ecosystem. “We cherish this ecosystem and work to keep it as intact as we can.”
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. Professional hunters and amateurs alike enter the competition to compete for cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.