Record-Breaking 17-Foot Python Captured By Florida Snake-Hunters

1010 WINS-Some people love 'em, some run as far away as possible from these slithery beasts. And some just happen to come across 133-pound nightmares in the wild while enjoying their day.

A record-breaking 17-foot Burmese python was captured in the Florida Everglades, the largest ever captured to date for the South Florida Water Management Department's python elimination program.

The team works to reduce the population of pythons in the Everglades, a problem in the area due to their aggressive destruction of native wildlife.

In total, the department's 25 newly hired python hunters have removed 743 from the area, which are captured, euthanized under American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, brought in for official measurements and are then turned into products. Python meat is not considered edible due to high levels of mercury.

The hunters, who are paid minimum wage to hunt for the reptiles are also given a bounty for their captures -- $50 for the first four feet and $25 per foot after that -- and this one could total close to $3,000.

-Joe Cingrana

In:
• Florida