200-lb Python Wrestled in Everglades

In a remarkable display of perseverance, contracted python hunter Carl Jackson and his family successfully captured a 200-pound Burmese python in Florida's Everglades on January 13, 2026. This colossal female snake measured 16 feet 10 inches, making it the second heaviest ever recorded in the state, with the record standing at 215 pounds from 2022. The struggle to contain the python was intense, with the snake coiling around Jackson and dragging him over 15 feet before his wife and children, newly certified assistants in the Python Action Team program, aided in its capture.

This significant catch also yielded a crucial ecological victory, as the python was discovered to be carrying approximately 200 eggs. Removing this snake prevents a substantial future population of the invasive species, which threatens native wildlife like deer and rabbits. Jackson, who relocated from Utah to pursue python hunting full-time, has already eliminated 91 pythons since starting his contract. The snake's skin was sold, and Jackson plans to have its head mounted as a trophy.