Close Encounters With A Burmese Python. . .
Thankfully the python that we met was simply curious, not hungry or pissed off.
We crossed paths in a wildlife sanctuary in Miami. The snake had been causing a panic on a boardwalk nearby, along the Miami Canal.
The Miami Canal flows from Lake Okeechobee to its terminus at the Miami River, which flows through downtown Miami. Concerned parents called, rightfully fearing for the lives of their children and small pets.
The python had simply been on a weekend reptilian exploration of sorts from the Everglades and had fortunately ended up with a humanitarian captor, not a bounty hunter or local snake assassin in a weaponized pick up truck.
The Everglades have become home to these amazing creatures. At some point in the past dozen decades well meaning but uninformed pet owners released them into the wild not knowing that they were well designed to not only adapt but also take over the whole swamp in time. Because of their large size, adult Burmese pythons have few predators, with adult alligators and humans being the exceptions.
These creatures can grow up to 17 feet and can weigh 160 pounds. They are considered to be an invasive species and to help get rid of them the state of Florida has put a bounty on their heads. The 2019 going rate is $8.65 an hour, with extra bounties depending on the length of the snake. There’s an additional $50.00 for the first 4 feet and $25.00 for every foot thereafter. Hunters who catch pythons that were guarding eggs can collect an extra $200.00. A seemingly perfect ecological balance likely sponsored and supported in part by the NRA and local camouflaged mud racing monster truckers with gun-racks fixed inside their back window.
OK, back on track, our python seemed to like being handled. Maybe it was the warmth of our hands, or somehow sensing the pure love and amazement in our touch and heart. That said we were warned to be slow and calm, not use a camera flash, and as long as the snake was not coiled or coiling to strike it was safe to be handled. Can’t find an emoji that actually suits this moment.
One of those - once in a lifetime moments for two wide eyed Canadian snowbirds. Fortunately, after raising a pet husky to adulthood, and then to old age which seemed like an eternity, we quickly recognized that adopting a pet python might be somewhat nearby to that challenging experience, or worse. We took a few photos, made one last eye contact, and walked away.
Sigh. . .
