A woman visiting Everglades National Park was shocked to spot a giant Burmese python making its way across the road, and shared a video of the encounter on Instagram for other wildlife lovers.
Kymberly Strempack Clark, who describes herself as a 'distracted walker', said that spotting the snake was her favorite wildlife moment of the year so far. However, she also noted that, although impressive, Burmese pythons are a dangerous invasive species in Florida.
"We pinned the location and reported it, as they are a huge threat to our ecosystem," she explained in her Instagram post. She can also be heard joking that her friend should try to pick the nonvenomous animal up.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), Burmese pythons can often be spotted in the Everglades, and authorities are attempting to manage the snakes in various ways to protect local wildlife.
Members of the public are encouraged to get involved by reporting, or even capturing and humanely killing Burmese pythons in Florida. If you choose to euthanize one, you must do so where you found it; transporting live pythons is illegal.
Each year, the FWC holds a Python Challenge, where participants are invited to remove as many Burmese pythons as possible within the state. "Removing these snakes is one of the many efforts we are employing to restore and maintain the Everglades ecosystem," said Governor Ron DeSantis after 231 of the snakes were removed in last year's contest.
