Enormous Burmese python filmed crossing the road in Florida: “Shocked”

While driving through Florida’s Everglades, Kymberly Strempack Clark and two friends were held up by an unusual roadblock: a 15-foot Burmese python.

Footage of the incident was shared to Clark’s Instagram, @kym_clark, and has since been watched over 16,700 times. In the video, the enormous snake can be seen slithering across a tarmac road while Clark’s GPS chides her to “proceed to the route.”

“I have never seen a snake this large before in the wild, especially a python,” Clark told Newsweek. “We were mostly looking up for birds of prey and exotic birds. We also scan the fields for other wildlife. We never expected a gigantic python in the road.”

The photographer stopped the car as quickly as she could, and the trio jumped out to get a closer look. “My friends and I were, of course, surprised and shocked,” she said. “We approached it very slowly with extreme caution.

“When we were close, we were pretty sure it was a python, which invoked many emotions. We felt sad that the pythons are invading Florida’s sacred land. We felt surprised that a python could grow to be this large. We felt shocked for what we hope is a once in a lifetime experience.”

Burmese pythons are one of the largest species of snakes in the world and are native to Southeast Asia. While they are classed as vulnerable to extinction in their native habitat by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, they are an invasive species in Florida and are considered a threat to native wildlife.

Established populations of the snakes were first reported in Florida in 2000. It is thought that these animals were escape pets or pets that had been intentionally released. The snakes have few predators because of their enormous size and are known to prey on native species—including those that may be endangered or threatened with extinction—and to compete with these animals for food.

Sightings of the snakes are becoming more and more common. “My friends and I unfortunately did encounter another python in November in the Everglades,” Clark said. “That’s two in less than two months. We are not in the Everglades that often, so it attests to the growing problem Florida is facing.”

In response to her video, Clark said that she has received a number of hateful comments for not running over the snake. “I could not run the snake over for a multitude of reasons,” she said. “I could have endangered my friends in my car as well as the individuals in the camper coming toward us. I could not kill this snake humanely, which is a legal requirement. A gun is necessary; we are photographers.”

Should you ever see a Burmese python in Florida, the state Wildlife Commission says it should be informed immediately. Clark said she and her friends did what they could to alert the authorities about the snake. “We documented the sighting, reported it and pinned the location.”

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