Deaf man catches 15 foot 9 inches python with bare hands
Alex: Burmese pythons are causing big problems in Florida’s ecosystem because they are an invasive species that is harming native wildlife. That’s why the state of Florida hosted a “2021 Florida Python Challenge” with cash prizes to encourage people who are brave enough to catch gigantic snakes to partake in a 10-day competition in the Everglades in the middle of July.
A deaf man, Brandon Call, who is a middle school science teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind (FSDB), caught the longest python out of over 600 competitors. The python Brandon caught was 15 feet and 9 inches. The prize winners were announced on Wednesday. Brandon won a “Longest Python Grand Prize” in the novice category and a $1,500 award. The second longest python was 15 feet and 5 inches, which went to a man named Dusty Crum, who is a professional snake catcher.
I was able to interview Brandon today. I asked him to explain why Burmese pythons are considered a threat to the Floridian environment.
Brandon Call:
Our ecosystem is not prepared for these snakes. They just wipe out everything, they’ve wiped out over 90% of mammals from the Everglades. So the ecosystem and food chain is in a crisis. Yes, the snakes eat them, and the most impacted is mammals. They have been disappearing. Rabbits, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, even some endangered animals. Some were wiped out. And the snakes are now competing against the endangered Florida panther for food resources. There are less than 300 panthers left and the snakes are just eating them. It’s bad. The pythons won’t stop growing.
Alex: Brandon said he caught the snake with his bare hands. He was driving around the Everglades during nighttime and - sspotted it going across the road.
Brandon Call:
I was driving on the road and spotted it. I turned on my headlights and thought it was a log. That’s how big the snake was. I was not sure, but it was actually a python. I got out and grabbed it, and the snake tried to attack me. I grabbed it by the tail and then dragged it by walking backwards. I had to make sure it was secure and stayed on land. I was pulling it and I happened to have a friend with me who was shocked. I didn’t teach him or show him how, as I was expecting smaller snakes. He was shook but I told him to go to my Jeep because it had various equipment. I told him to find the tongs. It is used to catch snakes from a distance. I was holding the python and told him to go and get it. I wrestled with the snake and when he brought the tongs, we were able to hold on its neck and then I held it with my hands. We were wrestling for a good fifteen minutes and I was so worn out.
Alex: Brandon said he had mixed feelings when he caught the python and euthanized it because he felt for the snake, but knew he was doing the right thing for the environment.
Brandon Call:
Do I enjoy putting the snake down? No. It is sad, but I know that it’s the best thing for the environment. If I am merciful, then the snake would end up killing many animals. So I took it down and carried it. It was easily over 100 pounds. I think its weight ranged from 100 to 150 pounds. I had a tough time wrestling it. I haven’t checked what the official weight is. I’ll ask them. So, the day after I caught the snake, I turned it over to the FWC for them to measure and take records. A biologist took it in to collect data such as whether it was male or female, whether it was pregnant, the amount of eggs, and other things. So I gave it away and waited for about three weeks. Then I got my results -- I was invited to the awards ceremony. So I went and I found out I placed first. I met another snake hunter, who is a professional, who caught a 15 feet 5 inches python. Mine was 15 feet and 9 inches. It was very close!
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Alex: Brandon said snake owners out there, if they decide they do not want to keep them as pets anymore, should not dispose of them in the wild but be responsible by turning it over to a pet store or an organization that is able to take care of the snakes.
Brandon has a Facebook page called “Wild Saga With Call” if you want to see more of what he does in nature.
Congratulations to him for catching the longest snake, and thank you for helping out with the native wildlife.
***Corrections and clarifications: Brandon's friend identifies as a female. Brandon said the pythons compete against the Florida panther for food resources, not that the snakes are eating the panthers.
https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/python-challenge-821/