Man grabs python and it grabs him back. Video shows effort to remove it in Everglades

A man trying his luck at catching one of Florida’s invasive pythons learned a tough lesson when the massive snake spooled itself around his wrist and began to squeeze.

It happened in the Everglades during a hunting trip organized by Martin County animal trapper Mike Kimmel, known as the Python Cowboy on social media.

Video of the incident was shared Sept. 16 on YouTube, showing that an unidentified rookie hunter started strong by snatching the 6-to-8 foot snake by the tail. He then successfully grabbed it by the head, without getting bitten.

However, that’s when the annoyed snake went on the offensive, coiling its body around his hand ... then his wrist ... then his forearm.

Burmese pythons can constrict with a pressure of about 7 pounds per square inch, and it soon became impossible for him to remove the snake with just one hand.

“You want help? Let me know,” Kimmel is heard saying. “Can you unravel her?”

“No,” replied the grunting man. “She’s strong.”

It took both men to unwind the snake — after the young hunter let go of its head and grabbed it with the other hand.

No one got hurt, but the snake was “put down” when the crew reached its boat, Kimmel said.

“Every python hunt is not successful,” Kimmel says in the video. “You never know what you’re going to come across and it can be dangerous. ... These snakes hide so well that you could literally walk right past one ... and you would have no idea.”

Burmese pythons are an invasive species in Florida’s wetlands and the state encourages their removal. Adults average 6 feet to 9 feet in Florida, with the record exceeding 18 feet, the state says.

This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Man grabs python and it grabs him back. Video shows effort to remove it in Everglades."