Thursday 22 November 2018

Bounty Hunter Kills Gargantuan Burmese Python, Gets $375, Earns Our Undying Gratitude


By Brandon Specktor, Senior Writer | November 8, 2018 03:55pm ET
There are snakes, and then there are "SSSSNNNNAAAAAAAAKES!!!!"
Florida resident and professional python bounty hunter Kyle Penniston caught and killed one such SSSSNNNNAAAAAAAAKE earlier this week in the Florida Everglades, according to a news release from the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The gargantuan Burmese python measured 17 feet 5 inches (5.3 meters) long and weighed about 120 lbs. (54 kilograms). It is survived by many children's nightmares. [7 Shocking Snake Stories]
Penniston caught and "humanely euthanized" the snake as part of the SFWMD's Python Elimination Program, which pays a team of 25 mercenary snake hunters to track and kill invasive pythons and deposit the reptiles at designated drop-off locations around several counties in southern Florida. (The program website does not specify what "humane" euthanasia means, but does say that firearm use on snakes is permitted, consistent with local, state and federal regulations.)
Strange News Snapshot: Week of Nov. 4, 2018
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Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the Everglades (Florida's extremely biodiverse wetland preserve that spans 1.5 million acres, or 1 million hectares). They were likely introduced to the ecosystem by careless pet owners, the SFWMD wrote. These snakes breed rapidly and pose a serious threat to the area's birds, rodents, deer and even alligators.

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