- A 22-year-old just nabbed Florida's longest Burmese python on record at 19 feet.
- Burmese pythons are an invasive apex predator in Florida and must be humanely killed.
A conservation group in Florida just received the longest Burmese python on state record, nabbed by a 22-year-old python hunter.
The pre-historic-looking beast – which measured 19 feet and 125 pounds – was captured by 22-year-old Jake Waleri, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
"We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science," Waleri said, according to the Conservancy.
The previous record for the longest Burmese python was 18 feet and 9 inches, according to the Conservancy. The organization still holds the record for Florida's heaviest Burmese python for a 215-pound female captured in June 2022.
An Instagram video of the catch on July 10 shows Waleri grabbing the snake first by its tail, then by its neck. The pair wrestled on the ground before others come to help subdue the reptile.
Burmese pythons are an invasive apex predator in Florida, where they can pose a risk to humans. Residents don't need a permit to kill the pythons, though by law they must be killed humanely, according to NPR. As implied by its name, the Burmese python hails from Southeast Asia.
"It's awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida's environment. We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible," Waleri said, according to the Conservancy.
The organization, which has been removing the species of python for the last ten years, said on its website that it is responsible for removing "30,000 pounds of python from an approximately 150 square mile area in southwestern Florida."