A pair of hunters operating in the Big Cypress National Preserve made history when they caught a 19-foot Burmese python, the longest such snake ever caught in Florida.

Bringing down the female python was a tall task for hunters Jake Waleri and Stephen Gauta, who called the find a dream come true.

“At first I just held on to the tail for dear life. And then one of my friends took a net and tried to pin its head down, and we quickly realized that was not a winning strategy. It’s the only snake that’s scared me so much that I didn’t know what to do,” Mr. Waleri told USA Today.

The successful catch was the 49th for Mr. Gauta and Mr. Waleri, who previously wrangled a snake that was nearly 18 feet long.

After Mr. Waleri and Mr. Gauta caught the 19-foot serpent on Monday, they brought it to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, a nonprofit whose remit includes work on countering the invasive Burmese python.

The conservationists measured the snake and confirmed its length. It weighed 125 pounds.

Mr. Waleri, a native of Naples, Florida, has hunted pythons since 2020 to remove the invasive critters from the Florida ecosystem.

“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,” he said.

The genetic material from the female snake will help researchers better understand the particularities of the founding Burmese python population in Florida, according to the conservation group.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.