Two of Florida‘s signature reptiles – the gator and the python – went head to head in a showdown caught on tape by an adventurer.
Katina Boychew was in the Everglades on March 29 when she captured the moment a massive python and gator battled it out in a small swamp before the snake became dinner.
The video showed the gator grab the python by the head and shamelessly whip it around for a deeper bite.
Boychew appeared to be a bit close to the action and cut the video as the python appeared lifeless.
A python and gator went head to head in Florida Everglades on March 29
The video showed the python being tossed around before becoming lunch
Boychew told 10 Tampa Bay the video was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime catch’ and added, ‘I was just amazed.’
Burmese pythons are problematic new habitants of the Everglades that popped up in recent years ‘due to accidental or intentional release of captive pet animals,’ according to the National Park Service.
Pythons are generally found in China or India but have been a recent threat to Florida as officials continuously seek ways to remove from the Everglades Park.
The most common way to kill pythons are by capturing and euthanizing them.
About 300,000 pythons reside in Florida with another 17,000 removed since 2,000, according to a U.S. Geological Survey obtained by the Sun Sentinel.
It’s unclear to know how many pythons are in the state since they tend to reproduce quickly.
The snakes can weigh more than 100 pounds and hunt mammals, alligators, birds and even humans.
The two reptiles are commonly known to be the biggest pests in the sunny state
Meanwhile, gators are commonly found in Florida and tend to be a menace to residents and visitors.
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The state is home to about 1.3million alligators and when longer than four feet, are considered a threat to humans.
Florida gators are known to move around more in the spring time, and have been seen climbing over fences in the past.
Gators that pose a threat to the community tend to be euthanized by officials. But the number of cases of people being attacked by alligators in the state is small.
From 1948 to 2021, 442 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of which resulted in human fatalities.
Despite the low risk, there have been three fatal gator attacks since last May.
In February, 85-year-old Gloria Serge died after she was mauled to death by the 10-foot gator when she tried to rescue her beloved dog.
Serge’s pup survived the attacked, but the gator was later captured and euthanized.
Gloria Serge, 85, was walking her dog by the lake in the Spanish Lakes Fairways community in Fort Pierce, Florida on Monday when an alligator attacked her, dragging her into the water
Serge (pictured) was a grandmother living in the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Fort Pierce, Florida, when she was killed by an alligator on Monday
Another elderly woman was killed by two alligators after falling into a pond near her home at the Boca Royale Golf and Country Club in Englewood in July 2022.
The woman, whose identity is not known, was struggling to stay afloat when two alligators were seen swimming toward her. They then grabbed her before she could escape and killed her.
In May 2022, 47-year-old Sean Thomas McGuinness’ body was found missing three limbs at the lake at the John S Taylor Park in Largo, Florida.
Investigators now believe he had gone into the 53-acre freshwater lake looking for UFOs when he was attacked. The park is home to an 18-hole disc golf course, with five holes adjacent to the lake, according to the Miami Herald.
Authorities noted that park management had reported ‘McGuinness was known to frequent the park and enter the lake with disregard to the posted ‘No swimming’ signs.
‘People with concerns about an alligator should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
