But as soon as he took care of his latest grip, he knew there was something to remember.
Kimmel, owner of Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue, went to Florida Everglades last week, hoping to catch the massive Burmese python.
He turned to a secluded island where he saw crocodile droppings and a black snake – but then immediately came to a giant python that he knew was special. “My heart started beating,” said Kimmel to CNN. “I’ve caught the big ones before, but that looked huge.”
Kimmel is waiting for government officials for an official measurement. When he measured the snake at home, he said he estimated it was about 17 feet long and about 130 to 150 pounds.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the largest python caught in Florida was 8 inches long, 18 feet.
Pythons began appearing in Everglades in the 1980s, most likely abandoned when they were too large to be handled by pet owners. Others may have escaped from a breeding facility destroyed in Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
Wildlife officials estimate that there may be 100,000 pythons living in Everglades. Snakes kill domestic animals such as raccoons, otters, birds, and even crocodiles.
Kimmel plans to sell his snake skin on the website. He also said he will receive a payment from the Python Action Team in Florida that pays people for the removal of invasive species.
Kimmel said, “I was proud to be at the summit and I knew I would get a good salary.” Said. “But most importantly, a snake of this size can really reach anything, so getting this dangerous predator out of the ecosystem has made me very excited.”
Alaa Elassar from CNN contributed to this report.
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