Rollins College student finds 17-foot-long python in Florida Everglades

WINTER PARK, Fla. – On the primary day of the 2022 Python Problem, Information 6 spoke with a Rollins School pupil residing in Winter Park who was in a position to wrangle up a virtually 18-foot-long Burmese python in Collier County.

The Python Problem is an annual occasion in Florida aimed toward bringing down the inhabitants of Burmese pythons — an invasive species with nearly no pure enemies within the Everglades and which have decimated native populations of mammals, birds and different reptiles.

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Joshua Laquis — a resident of Winter Park who enjoys excessive sports activities — stated he went python-hunting within the Everglades to seek out one thing that “scares” him.

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“Mainly, what occurred was I used to be imagined to go along with any person else to hunt a python the day earlier than we went, and that didn’t find yourself understanding,” Laquis stated. “So I ended up discovering these two random guys on Instagram that I heard have been into python-hunting, as effectively.”

Laquis informed Information 6 he started looking with the pair — Jake Waleri and Stephen Gauta from Glades Boys Python Adventures — that night time, although they didn’t have a lot luck at first.

Nevertheless, Laquis stated the group quickly discovered their goal — a 17-foot, 10-inch-long python crossing the freeway.

“All of us screamed. All of us hunted snakes earlier than, however none of us have seen something this measurement…” Laquis stated. “One thing this massive was unbelievable to see.”

In line with Laquis, the staff wrestled for ten minutes to get management of the snake, which died because it was attempting to constrict the three males.

Whereas the three have been in a position to convey the snake to authorities, Laquis stated they discovered it simply earlier than the Python Problem pronouncement, that means they didn’t obtain a reward.

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Regardless of that, Laquis stated his subsequent journey shall be engaged on his sky-diving license, although he nonetheless a “couple extra jumps to do” earlier than he could make that occur.

The 2022 Python Problem runs by 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. Prizes embody a $2,500 for many pythons captured and $1,500 for the longest python captured. Snakes within the problem should be killed humanely to qualify.

Laquis shares his adventures on his Instagram web page underneath his profile at @Joshua.Laquis.

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