Florida teen participating in Florida Python Challenge nabs massive 15-foot python in Everglades – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WSVN) — A Florida teenager’s first time participating in the Florida Python Challenge has secured his place in python-catching history after he helped reel in one of the largest pythons encountered recently.

While he visited Everglades National Park with his team, 18-year-old Jack Cronin caught a python measuring 15 feet in length and weighing nearly 100 pounds as he embarked on a mission to catch the largest python.

The colossal python, stretching longer than an SUV, was a sight to behold for Cronin and his crew. The daring python hunter shared his exhilarating experience.

“We go over and there’s just a snake’s head sitting there the size of my head,” said Cronin, “And I shined the flashlight back through the woods to see the body, and couldn’t even see the end of it.”

Despite the awe-inspiring size of the serpent, Cronin’s determination didn’t waver.

“Then I’m like, of course, I wanna jump on it. So I jumped on it, grabbed its head,” he recalled. “Then the thing went nuts and it turned into a wrestling match,” he recounted, capturing the adrenaline-fueled struggle that ensued.

Although Cronin successfully captured the colossal python, Cronin’s crew narrowly missed the official weigh-in for the Florida Python Challenge by approximately five hours.

The challenge offers a financial reward for hunters who capture invasive pythons, which is aimed at combating the python population in the Everglades.

However, what they may have missed in financial compensation, they gained in a riveting tale of bravery and adventure. Cronin and his team emerged from the experience with a wild and unforgettable story that they can recount for years to come.

The Florida Python Challenge continues to engage python hunters in an effort to manage the population of these invasive predators in the Everglades.

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