Video Shows Giant Python Grabbing Man After Man Grabs Python

A wannabe python-catcher got more than he bargained for when the snake he attempted to capture decided to fight back. In footage shared by animal trapper Mike Kimmel (AKA the Python Cowboy), an inexperienced hunter can be seen picking the giant snake up by the tail (what could go wrong?) and then grabbing the head, finally lifting it up triumphantly for the camera. "That was nerve-racking!" the proud hunter said, not realizing disaster was about to strike. Here's what happened next.

Kimmel is the owner of Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue in the Florida Everglades, and clearly an old hand at dealing with dangerous beasts. He captured the entire incident on video and posted it on his social media. "Alright ya'll today is a fun one," he captioned the post. "I took a couple out on their first python hunt and we had a ton of fun cruising around the everglades. We saw some fun stuff along the way and this young man got to catch his first python. It was intense for him and a ton of fun for me to watch him catch the python." Keep reading to learn more and see the video.

In Kimmel's footage, he can be heard telling the hunter how to approach the python, which is trying to move away from the humans. "It's almost harder when they try to get away from you," Kimmel says. The rookie hunter finally sees his chance and manages to grab the snake by the tail and the head, holding it up jubilantly. "What a grab!" Kimmel can be heard saying. "She's a beauty too."

Burmese pythons kill their prey by squeezing them to death—so what happened next is no surprise. The snake, having had enough of being handled, decided to fight back. It managed to wrap itself around the hunter's hand, wrist, and forearm, and started squeezing. "You want help? Let me know," Kimmel is heard saying. "Can you unravel her?" "No," the man replies. "She's strong." Finally, the two men managed to get the snake off.

In his summary of the adventure, Kimmel makes the point that python-catching is not for the faith of heart. "Every python hunt is not successful," Kimmel says in the video. "You never know what you're going to come across and it can be dangerous. … These snakes hide so well that you could literally walk right past one … and you would have no idea."

Burmese pythons are considered an invasive species in Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWC encourages people to capture and (humanely) kill them on private property. A license is required to hunt pythons on public land during hunting season. "Visitor and staff safety is always our highest priority at Everglades National Park," said superintendent Dan Kimball. "Everglades, as many other national parks, draws many thousands of visitors for the opportunity to view the wildlife that live here in a natural setting. Our guidance to visitors with respect to Burmese pythons is the same as for our native wildlife — please maintain a safe distance and don't harass the wildlife. With respect to controlling Burmese pythons, we are working diligently with our state, federal, tribal, and local partners to manage this invasive species and educate the public on the importance of not letting invasive species loose in the wild."