Large Burmese pythons have been known to eat alligators in the Everglades region of Florida. But sometimes the opposite happens.
Accompanying footage, captured on November 28, shows a large alligator swimming in a pond with a giant python in its jaws.
“This is one of the coolest and most impressive sights I’ve had the pleasure of seeing since working in Everglades National Park,” Florida Findings said Monday via Facebook. “Our biggest alligator in Shark Valley [Trail] Loop, about 12 feet long, trailing an invasive Burmese python that is at least twice its size.
ABC News, crediting Kelly Alvarez and Storyful for the footage, said via Instagram: “Visitors to Florida’s Everglades National Park were stunned to see an alligator swimming with its catch – a Burmese python so big it stunned even tourist guides. »
The extraordinary images have been widely shared since Monday.
In Florida, non-native Burmese pythons pose a significant threat to native wildlife, including small alligators. They can be hunted without a permit as the state attempts to reduce their numbers and slow their spread.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the longest alligator recorded in Florida measured 14 feet 3-1/2 inches. The weight record is 1,043 pounds.
The longest Burmese python captured in Florida was 19 feet long and weighed 125 pounds.
This article was originally published on For The Win: Watch a Florida Alligator Drag a Huge Python Across a Pond.
