James Crump, The Independent
A 17ft long python was caught in the Everglades, after a tussle with a man who calls himself the “Python Cowboy.”
Mike Kimmel, who runs the Python Cowboy YouTube page, posted a video to his channel on Friday, that documented his journey to catch the snake.
Mr Kimmel went to an island in the Everglades, in order to find a Burmese python, and not long after spotting a small black snake, saw what he was looking for.
“My heart started pounding,” he told CNN. “I’ve caught big ones before, but this one looked extra large.”
During the 15 minute long video, Mr Kimmel, who also owns Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue, managed to catch the snake, but was badly bitten by the python.
Despite bleeding profusely, Mr Kimmel managed to drag the python back to his boat, where he euthanised it.
He tied cloth around his bleeding arm and reported the death to the Python Action Team in Florida.
Pythons are not indigenous to the Florida Everglades, and were first reported in the area, in the 1980s, most likely because of abandonment from pet owners, according to the outlet.
There are estimated to be over 100,000 Pythons in the Everglades, that kill indigenous racoons, otters and occasionally alligators.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: “The Burmese python is a large nonvenomous constrictor that is an invasive species in Florida.
“Burmese pythons are found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida where the snake represents a threat to native wildlife.”
Florida’s Python Action Team pay people to remove the species from the Everglades, but Mr Kimmel will also be selling the skin online.
“I was proud that I came out on top and I knew that I was going to get a good paycheck out of it,” Mr Kimmel told the outlet.
“But most of all, a snake that size can really get to anything, so I was thrilled to get this dangerous predator out of the ecosystem.”
