’Monster’ python captured, killed in Everglades; ‘it was unbelievable,’ hunter says

A snake hunter in South Florida has captured and killed a massive python as part of a state program aimed at ridding the Everglades of invasive species.

Dusty Crum broke his own record with his latest catch: a 16-foot 11-inch python weighing 122 pounds.

Calling it a “monster” in a Facebook video, Crum said he caught the huge snake late last Thursday night in the water.

“It was unbelievable … I’ve never been tested like that before,” he said.

The snake kill was part of the South Florida Water Management District's Python Elimination Program.

“We’re taking them out of the glades one snake at a time,” Crum said. “This snake’s not going to hurt anymore of our natives. We’re just going to keep up the good work … We’re going to do what we can to help stop this invasion.”

The program has helped remove more than 600 invasive pythons from the Everglades since March.

Program Record Snake Caught

Python hunter Dusty Crum broke his own record for the longest snake caught as part of SFWMD's Python Elimination Program — a 16-foot, 11-inch Burmese python he captured late last Thursday. Since the program began in late March, the hunters have removed 638 invasive pythons from the Everglades.

Posted by South Florida Water Management District on Wednesday, November 1, 2017

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