Watch: Gutsy university student captures 19-foot-long python with bare hands

A 19-foot-long Burmese python, considered to be the longest ever, was caught by 22-year-old university student Jake Waleri in the USA on Monday.

He took  the snake, weighing a massive 56.6 kg to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida where it was officially measured, USA Today reported.

In the video shared by Waleri on Instagram, the dangerous python lunges towards him as he drags it on the road by its tail. The courageous student then grapples with the huge reptile  on the road after which his friends join him to help capture the snake.

Until now the largest Burmese python caught in Florida was in October 2020 which measured at 18 foot and nine inches.

Waleri told the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, “We brought the snake to the Conservancy to be officially measured and documented. We wanted to donate this find to science. It’s awesome to be able to make an impact on South Florida’s environment. We love this ecosystem and try to preserve it as much as possible.”

The 22-year-old boy said that although it was a “dream to capture the reptile, the whole incident was chaotic given its insane size. “I knew we were capable of it but I didn’t know it would happen. Last year my cousin and I caught a snake that was almost 18 feet long, and we realised we could handle a snake of that size,” he told USA Today.

A python does not kill prey with its bite, but by coiling around the victim and squeezing its muscles tightly to suffocate the animal to death. Pythons have recently proved to be a menace for wildlife conservationists in the United States as it feeds on mammals, birds and alligators while having only a few natural predators.