A legendary giant of the Everglades has passed away. Goldie, a 35-year-old reticulated python believed by some to be the largest snake in captivity in the United States, died last week at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters , where she had lived for more than two decades.
“This has been a huge loss ... We're talking about possibly the largest snake ever in captivity," said David Shealy, the owner of the facility.
When Goldie was last officially measured in 2021, the apex predator was nearly 23 feet long and was estimated to weigh around 400 pounds. She had not been measured since, leading the owners of the facility to believe it was possible the snake grown by about 3 feet, breaking the United States record.
"We decided against it because it's very stressful. We have to take her out of her cage, and she was getting older, so we were real reluctant to handle her in that way at all," said Shealy.
Goldie had been a staple attraction at the headquarters since 2000, drawing visitors from around the world who returned year after year to see her.
“She was a really important part of Skunk Ape Research Headquarters ... People came from all over the country and all over the world. Folks would repeatedly stop in here to see her, and they got attached to her,” said Shealy.
Reticulated pythons, unlike the invasive Burmese pythons in Florida, are legal to own as pets and in facilities like Shealy’s.
“I was here four years ago, and I met Goldie. She was a big snake. She was beautiful,” said Amanda Force, who visited the site today to see the snake.
Shealy tells Gulf Coast News Goldie was more than just an attraction — she was a mascot for the headquarters and a symbol of the Everglades’ unique wildlife.
“Unlike the Skunk Ape, which is pretty elusive, Goldie was here, so they knew they’d see Goldie,” Shealy said. “But they’re always keeping an eye out for the Skunk Ape as well.”
The facility is now in the process of drying, skinning, and tanning the hide of the animal, in order to memorialize the potentially record-breaking snake.
“We just got to move forward, and we're going to keep Goldie in our hearts and in our minds for a long, long time,” said Shealy.