Father and Son Catch Massive Python in the Florida Everglades

Florida’s battle against invasive Burmese pythons has produced no shortage of dramatic encounters, and few have captured public attention quite like the stories of father-son teams venturing into the Everglades to take on the giant snakes.

The Burmese python population in South Florida has exploded since the snakes were first established in the wild, likely through a combination of released pets and escapees from breeding facilities damaged during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Wildlife officials estimate that tens of thousands — and possibly more than 100,000 — of the constrictors now live in and around the Everglades, where they have devastated native wildlife populations.

The snakes grow to enormous sizes in Florida’s subtropical climate. The longest Burmese python ever documented in the state measured 19 feet and was captured in 2023 at a preserve in southwest Florida. Snakes exceeding 15 and 16 feet are caught with some regularity by licensed hunters.

Among the most notable catches in recent years, Carl Nicholson Sr. and his son captured an 18-foot python in Big Cypress National Preserve in August 2024 — the third-largest ever recorded in the Everglades. In November 2023, Mike Elfenbein and his son Cole helped capture a python measuring 17 feet, 2 inches and weighing 198 pounds, making it the second-heaviest python on record in the state.

The catches are part of Florida’s ongoing effort to control the invasive species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission runs the Python Elimination Program, which pays licensed hunters to remove the snakes from public lands. Hunters are paid a base rate per hour plus bonuses based on the length of each snake captured. The South Florida Water Management District operates a similar program.

Since the programs began, thousands of pythons have been removed, but biologists acknowledge that the efforts are unlikely to fully eradicate the species. The snakes are exceptionally difficult to detect in the dense vegetation of the Everglades, and a single female can lay up to 100 eggs per clutch.

The father-son python hunts have become something of a tradition among dedicated hunters in the region, combining family bonding with a contribution to conservation efforts in one of America’s most unique and threatened ecosystems.