23-year-old Jason Leon says he was riding his ATV with a few of his friends when he noticed a few feet of snake sticking out of the brush by the gravel road. Jason crawled off the ATV, grabbed the head of the snake, and yanked it free from the brush. To his surprise, there were 15 more feet of the snake that was concealed by the thick brush. The battle began.
The 18-foot female python wrapped around his leg once, then twice, and then began working its way to Jason’s waist. A friend handed Jason a nine-inch hunting knife which he sunk into the head of the snake. He then decapitated the snake and contacted wildlife officials.
Wildlife officials took the snake and confirmed that it was indeed a record-breaker. When asked if the snake posed any threat to the public, a Florida commissioner responded:
“I would think a snake of that size could kill a very large animal. It could kill a deer, so a person would be comparable in size to that.”
Officials said they were grateful that the snake was no longer roaming in the wild and that Jason lived to tell the tale.
Jason has been promised the skin of the snake which he intends to tan and hang on his living room wall.
