A group of friends were stunned after they spotted a giant Burmese python crossing the road at Everglades National Park in Florida, in the United States. The snake was captured on camera when Kymberly Clark and her friends stopped to get a better look at the viper blocking their path.
This video shows the Burmese python, estimated to be more than 15 feet long, slithering and making its way across the road at the national park. Ms Clark who filmed this video reported the location of the snake to the local authorities.
She also posted a video of the snake on Instagram, captioning it as, ''My friends and I started the New Year off with a bang! So many incredible wildlife sightings! I will post them this week, but here's my favorite: A 15+ foot Burmese Python crossing the road in Everglades National Park. We pinned the location and reported it, as they are a huge threat to our ecosystem. Volume up to hear me ask my friend to pick it up! It's probably good he didn't, because it didn't go well last week when a non-venomous Yellow Rat Snake bit him.''
Watch the video here:
Reacting to the video, one user said, "Ohh my gosh!! Scary situation!! My heart stopped". Another wrote, "Holy snakey! I think those are speed bumps you are supposed to run over." A third wrote, "Wow!!! Incredible footage." However, many also added that these snakes pose great harm to the state's ecology.
An NBC Miami report said that Burmese pythons are an invasive species to the Florida Everglades. The threat from them is so much that a competition is held every year in Florida to eliminate Burmese pythons from the South Florida wetlands preserve. In 2022, more than 230 pythons were removed from the Florida Everglades as part of the competition.
According to National Geographic, Burmese pythons are among the largest snakes on Earth and are native to the jungles and grassy marshes of Southeast Asia. They are capable of reaching 23 feet or more in length and weighing up to 200 pounds. Burmese pythons are carnivores, surviving primarily on small mammals and birds.
