Couple Finds Massive Python In Florida Neighborhood

If there is one thing I never want to encounter in my neighborhood, it's a python and a Florida couple found a massive one slithering away this week.

I’ve been afraid of snakes for as long as I can remember. Not just that I don't like them, but phobia-level scared. And I don’t even know exactly why they scare me so much. It could be their unblinking eyes, the way they move without making a sound or the fact that they can swallow creatures way bigger than they have any business eating. Whatever it is, they freak me out. And living in Florida, I know running into one is always a real possibility. In fact, I’ve had a few encounters over the years, seeing some small ones. But big or small, it's a no for me. And one that I absolutely never want to see in the wild is a python. Unfortunately for one Florida couple, that’s exactly what they stumbled on this week.

Rotunda West is about an hour and 20 minutes from Fort Myers. But it's too close for comfort after hearing a couple there came across a nearly 12 foot python this week. 12 feet! That's huge! And it was just minding it's own business slithering across the road as they do. Well, much like I don't like them, it sounds like this guy didn't either.

According to WFLA, Wade Gardner saw the thing and knew it had to go. He said he grabbed a snare and an axe and followed it to the empty lot it was heading for. And without knowing any more details, let's just say it sounds like he took care of it. He's braver than me, that's for sure. I think what freaked me out even more is that this wasn't his first encounter. It was the third one he's seen this year and the second one he's taken care of. And we're closer, here in Fort Myers, to the Glades than he is. So it may only be a matter of time.

If you see a python, take a photo and report it along with your location to the FWC's Exotic Species Hotline. You can call 888-IVE-GOT1 or use the IveGot1 app.