16-foot python captured in Everglades – NBC 6 South Florida

A Florida trapper captured a 17-foot, 1-inch python over the weekend in the Everglades near Fort Lauderdale, and the largest catch was caught on camera.

Matthew Kogo, a trapper with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, found the snake at the Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area.

In the video, Kogo holds the python’s head tightly as it wiggles around. The caption explains how he lets the invading snake tire itself out, so as not to put himself in danger.

“You have to let her work, as my Brazilian Ju-Jitsu friends say. You have to let them work,” he jokes.

In another video, he sits on the ground with the animal wrapped around his leg.

“Spend some time with a snake before you catch it and take it out of the clearing. That’s quality time,” he said, catching his breath.

Humor aside, it may not be a coincidence that this crazy shot was made during hurricane season.

Experts told NBC affiliate WBBH that higher temperatures, consistent rainfall and humidity can make invasive snakes more visible in more residential areas.

“Pythons and other snakes are exothermic, so they prefer to be active when it’s warm and humid. They’re tropical snakes,” said Dr. Andrew Durso, a wildlife biologist and professor at Florida Gulf Coast University.

But why do Burmese pythons have to be hunted out of the state by trappers like Kogo, and what makes them so dangerous to our environment? In short, they are invasive, huge and insatiable.

That’s why Florida is holding its annual contest to eliminate snakes from the Everglades. The Florida Python Challenge 2024 is officially accepting applications for 2024.

Professional and novice hunters can compete for more than $25,000 in cash prizes.

The goal of the challenge is to raise awareness about this invasive species that is wreaking havoc on native wildlife, even eating alligators. Pythons have no natural predators in the Everglades. For more information, visit myFWC.com/python.