Wildlife experts faced significant challenges in capturing a 90 kg Burmese python in Florida. This invasive species has become a major concern for the United States, which is actively seeking ways to eradicate it.
Wildlife experts struggled to control and capture the large Burmese python. (Photo: Mike Elfenbein).
The large Burmese python was discovered by wildlife experts resting in the grass along a roadside in the Big Cypress National Preserve (Florida, USA). Initially, the team mistook it for a large alligator, but upon closer inspection, they realized it was indeed a Burmese python.
“It’s not just a python; it’s truly a monster,” shared Mike Elfenbein, a member of the wildlife team that discovered the python, reflecting on the encounter.
Once it was identified as a Burmese python, Carter Gavlock—another team member—immediately rushed to grab the animal’s tail to prevent its escape. However, the python quickly retaliated, attempting to slither into a nearby canal to hide, nearly pulling Gavlock in with it.
“That was a serious mistake because the python almost dragged him into the canal. Clearly, he couldn’t manage such a large python on his own,” Elfenbein noted.
It wasn’t until five adult members of the wildlife team rushed in and sat on the python that it was finally subdued. Even so, the experts had to struggle significantly to fully overpower and capture the large snake.
The Burmese python was later confirmed to weigh 90 kg and measure 5.2 meters in length. This marks the second-largest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, with the record currently held by a python caught in 2022, weighing 98 kg and measuring 5.5 meters.
“To reach such a size, this Burmese python has consumed a lot of native wildlife. It’s a relief that the animal has been captured and can no longer prey on our wildlife,” Elfenbein remarked.
This python will be humanely euthanized by wildlife experts.
