A Charlotte County man encountered a nearly 12-foot Burmese python on Tuesday night in Rotonda West, Florida. The snake was spotted on Medalist Drive, stretching halfway across the road.
Wade Gardner, a local resident, shared his experience with WINK News.
"They would never believe me if I just sent them a picture of it, they would want to know where I got the picture of the snake from," said Gardner.
Upon discovering the snake while returning home from dinner, Gardner and his neighbors stopped to take a closer look.
"It was hard to miss because it stretched at least halfway across the road," said Gardner. "We just stopped. I took one quick picture and realized I didn't have anything else to handle it with."
Gardner quickly returned home to retrieve a snare and an ax to manage the situation.
The python, measuring over 11 feet long and 15 inches wide, caught the attention of the community.
Naturalist Rob Howell provided insight into the increasing presence of these invasive snakes in the area.
"These animals can get pushing 15 average. Average is, you know, six to eight and then eight to 10 is pretty large," said Howell.
Howell explained that the snakes are migrating north from the Everglades in search of food.
"They're going to keep moving north as food sources dwindle where they're at because they're eating everything," said Howell.
Gardner contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) following the encounter.
"They said there's just too many of them now, and they can't come and get all of them. So bury it, put it in the trash," said Gardner.
Since the python sighting, Gardner has earned a new nickname in the neighborhood.
"Now I'm the snake guy," said Gardner.
WINK News reached out to the FWC for further comment. The FWC advises that Burmese pythons, being invasive in Florida, should be killed humanely.