A new record has been set for the longest python captured in Florida, according to the Southwest Florida Conservancy.
Located near Big Cypress National Park, under Naples, a group of python hunters worked together in order to finish the record-breaking catch. The snake was measured at 19 feet in length and weighed 125 pounds.
When Jake Waleri’s net failed to do the job, he literally took matters into his own hands. The video shows Waleri grabbing the massive snake by the throat and tumbling to the ground in order to safely capture the snake.
“I originally walked up to it, thinking I could just come behind it and grab its head like a normal grab,” said Waleri. “But then the snake went absolutely crazy. It was trying to wrap me up, trying to strangle me. And my friends, luckily, were able to pull it off. And you know, we were able to capture this thing safely.”
Waleri summarized the unforgettable event by saying his crew felt the true Florida experience.
Once the conservancy conducts more tests on the snake in order to learn about its history, Waleri, along with his hunting partner Stephen Gauta, plan to donate the body for research purposes.
