Snake Hunter Filmed Wrestling 60lb Python in Florida: 'Solid Muscle'

The moment a snake hunter had to wrestle with a huge Burmese python in the Florida Everglades in order to capture the elusive creature was captured on video. Wildlife rescuer and invasive species trapper Mike Kimmel, better known as Python Cowboy on social media, caught the snake while out on a hunt in April. The incident was captured on camera by his film crew and posted to YouTube, where it now has more than 400,000 views. The female snake measured just under 13 feet in length and weighed slightly more than 60 pounds, Kimmel told Newsweek. Burmese pythons are large snakes native to parts of Southeast Asia that have now become established in South Florida, primarily in the Everglades, as an invasive species. The local environment in this part of the state is suitable for them.

The pythons now pose a significant threat to native wildlife because the snakes prey upon many bird and mammal species, including some that are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Severe declines in some small mammal populations in Florida have been linked to the pythons. It is almost impossible to estimate the size of the Burmese python population in Florida because they are so hard to detect. Estimates range from tens of thousands to 100,000—and significantly more. The non-venomous constrictor snakes can grow to around 20 feet in length, with the Florida record measuring more than 18 feet. Kimmel came across the snake—which he described as "an absolute monster" in the video—close to midnight while driving home after a night of hunting. He was able to spot the snake on the side of the road among vegetation using high-powered lights fitted to his vehicle. Kimmel got out of the car and went after the python, which was on the move. "She's cruising through. What a beast," Kimmel said in the video. "She don't give a crap about us." Eventually, Kimmel managed to grab the snake by the tail and a struggle lasting several minutes ensued. "She's strong. It's a big snake guys," he said. The trapper tried to get the snake under control as the serpent attempted to defend itself. On occasion, the snake swung around in an effort to bite him. "These snakes especially one this large, they're very powerful—they're solid muscle," Kimmel told Newsweek. "I'm kind of handling it in such a way where I'm letting the snake tire itself out. That way, when I go for the grab, it's a little easier to work with."

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The trapper eventually managed to grab the snake just behind the head, but it still presented some problems for him. "Even after I did that and I grabbed it, it still had a good deal of flight in it and...was trying to wrap me up," Kimmel said. Among the dangers you have to heed when catching pythons are the teeth, which are long and curved. "You should definitely avoid them biting you," Kimmel said. "They can cause all kinds of nerve damage. Then, obviously [you should avoid] them getting around you." After he catches a Burmese python, as in this case, Kimmel humanely euthanizes the snakes on site in accordance with state invasive species guidelines. "I use a .22 pistol and basically shoot it directly in the brain," Kimmel said. "In order to properly do that, I need to gain control of the snake. And that's why I capture them alive the way I do." "People lose snakes every year because they're not comfortable with grabbing them, and they try to shoot them and they don't hit the brain perfectly and the snake gets away," he said. "For me, it's a very big deal that I don't lose a snake and they're euthanized humanely." Kimmel said he removes the snakes from the ecosystem because they are wiping out native wildlife, particularly in the Everglades where they are most prevalent. "We've seen our native species populations plummet," Kimmel said, particularly animals like otters, marsh rabbits and raccoons. "Their populations have been wiped out 90 to 99 percent and that's a huge deal—that's unreal. "At the end of the day, the last thing we need are these invasive critters eating all of our already struggling native wildlife. So that's definitely something we have to stay on top of. We can't just sit by and let this happen," he said. In the video, Kimmel said the snake he caught could do "some serious damage" and had eaten very well. "Possums, otters, raccoons, alligators—nothing stands a chance against this thing," he said in the video. Given her thickness, the snake may have had eggs inside her, and could potentially have even been looking for a nest. "She won't be laying this year," Kimmel said in the video. "Really successful night. Doesn't get any better than this. Getting a big breeder female out of the Everglades right during breeding and nesting season in an area where we have a bunch of native wildlife we're trying to protect. We're over the moon, we couldn't be happier." While Kimmel does not believe that it will not be possible to completely get rid of the pythons in Florida, he said it was critical that humans attempt to control the population. These efforts seem to be making a difference in some places. "In the areas that we've been, I think we've been seeing the native wildlife start to bounce back," Kimmel told Newsweek, noting that he and his crew remove hundreds of pythons every year. "It shows that management is possible and there is a light at the end of the tunnel—but it's not going to be easy." "We're going to have to use old technologies and develop new technologies to fight against them," he said. "One way I'm doing that is by training and using dogs. I've been very successful with the dogs and to me, that's gonna be a big game changer. I've also been helping a few different research teams develop new cameras that can possibly detect the pythons." Update 05/11/23, 11:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated with links to the Python Cowboy's website and YouTube page. Correction, 05/17/23, 11:00 a.m. ET: This story was updated to correct the number of views that the YouTube video had at the time of writing.