In southern Brevard County, a group of alligator hunters had an unexpected encounter with a massive Burmese python. The team, consisting of Stillwaggon, her boyfriend Chuckie Burgess, and the married couple Carlee and Jay Stickland, stumbled upon a 12-foot python while on their scouting expedition. This unusual discovery took place in an area of Florida where pythons are rarely seen.
Jay Stickland spotted the snake on the road, initially unaware that it was a python. The sheer size of the snake caught their attention, prompting them to spring into action. In a two-minute struggle, they successfully captured and killed the python.
Carlee Strickland expressed her surprise, saying, “I had no idea that it was a python. I just saw a giant snake, and that in itself was kinda crazy. I was scared. I don’t do snakes, I was scared.”
Wildlife experts raised concerns about the python’s presence in Brevard County due to its status as an invasive apex predator. Typically, Burmese pythons are found in areas ranging “from just south of Lake Okeechobee to Key Largo and from western Broward County west to Collier County,” as noted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Mack Ralbovsy from the Brevard Zoo emphasized the potential impact of the Burmese python on native species, stating, “We have seen some significant population changes through native species because of the introduction of the Burmese python, and they can have a catastrophic effect because of how large and how much of an apex predator they can be.”
In response to the presence of Burmese pythons, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages individuals who encounter these invasive reptiles to take a photo and report the sighting along with its location. This can be done by contacting the Exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681).