Florida man catches record-setting 17-foot python

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (WWSB) - A Florida man had a record-setting catch earlier this week in the South Florida Water Management’s District Python Elimination Program.

According to South Florida Water Management District, Kyle Penniston, of Homestead, made the solo capture of a 17-foot, 5-inch female Burmese python. Penniston was hunting on SFWMD lands in Miami-Dade County late Monday night. The mammoth snake weighed in at 120 pounds. It’s the third python caught as part of the program that measured more than 17 feet. Penniston is currently second among the hunters, with 235 snakes eliminated.

SFWMD’s Python Elimination Program facilitates the elimination of the invasive snakes on District-owned land. SFWMD says that eliminating invasive species such as Burmese pythons is critical to preserving the rare Everglades ecosystem.

“Just six months after eliminating the first 1,000 pythons from District lands, this program is about to double that total because of a true team effort,” said SFWMD scientist Mike Kirkland, project manager for the Python Elimination Program. “With the Governing Board’s unwavering support, District staff and a dedicated group of hunters are working to help control this invasive species and protect native wildlife.”