Python hitches nearly 100-mile ride in sailboat’s shower in Florida, rescued by cops

A 7-foot python on Saturday, Nov. 13 created an uproar on a sailboat in the Florida Key after it slithered quietly and hitched a ride for an approximately 100-mile voyage until it was discovered by the crew. The reptile was found resting in the boat’s shower by the crew member after the vessel docked at Marco Island in southwest Florida completing a trip from Indian Key. 

The snake was later rescued from the sailboat by handlers summoned by the Marco Island Police. In the photos shared online, an officer was seen with the humongous python coiled around his arm after local wildlife responded to the incident and plucked the snake out of its hiding. The reptile, 7-foot (2.1-meter) long, had travelled a distance of about 155 kilometres all the way to the southern tip of the peninsula.

“Officers responded to a call for a snake on a boat at Rose Marina today, Officer Prigge was able to capture the python and release it to local wildlife handler Bobby Monroe,” the Marco island police department wrote in a Facebook post. 

Pythons, a huge breeding population in South Florida

Pythons, that can grow up to 20 feet (6.1 meters) and weigh 200 pounds (90 kilograms) can devour other species, including human beings. They are a native species in parts of South Florida, US. According to the US Geological Survey, there is no proof of whether the invasive pythons can swim from Everglades to the Keys but the possibility remains. 

Meanwhile, the Burmese pythons have a huge breeding population in South Florida and are one of the most concerning invasive species in Everglades National Park, the Survey says. In recent years, the remote southernmost regions of Everglades National Park has witnessed a decline in the native species population as pythons, that have been competing with the wildlife for food, which includes mammals, birds, and other reptiles, have devoured them.

In a similar strange sighting, a python was found slithering into the vehicle of a group of visitors at the Kruger National Park, South Africa. In a video provided by the YouTube channel Latest Sightings, the mammoth snake was seen handled by the local guide for Kruger Pride Safaris. It was first spotted on concrete and was then seen making its way along the middle of a road, shocking the commuters as motor vehicles stopped to take a glance at the mighty wildlife creature. The snake then jumped inside a vehicle and penetrates the engine compartment from beneath. People observed the snake while driving and honked, screaming, "You have a snake in your car!"