Meet the women hunting giant pythons ‘eating everything’ in the Everglades
Miguel Sanchez, 25, of Lake Mary, Florida, was in a tree stand with his brothers-in-arms. (Chris Davis/The Washington Post)
When Miguel Sanchez, 25, first learned of the massive snake found in the Everglades, he saw it as a challenge.
He was eager to see it in action.
So, he got to work, working with his two brothers as they climbed into the branches of a tree in a stand in a swamp area between the Everglades and Orlando.
They were there for nearly a week, watching as the snake crawled and slithered among the branches. They watched, mesmerized and intrigued — even scared — by what they were watching.
Sanchez’s job, though, was to keep the snake away from his brothers, who were hunting for it.
“It was an exciting time,” he said.
In the past two weeks, his parents said, the snake has moved farther north in the swamp. They have watched it scurry through the branches and have even caught a glimpse of it in the water of their backyard swimming pool.
The snake had been there before, they said, but it’s been a new and terrifying experience for them.
In the past two weeks, his parents said, the snake has moved farther north in the swamp. They have watched it scurry through the branches and have even caught a glimpse of it in the water of their backyard swimming pool. (Chris Davis/The Washington Post)
In the last week, it has been discovered, in small groups, by fishermen who said they have seen its head, and watched it eat what they thought was a bird’s eggs.
Their pictures have been widely spread in recent weeks on Facebook — until the pictures and posts became the subject of a viral news story. They have been shared in groups that include students at one high school in Maryland, and in a Facebook group of women who are hunting and rescuing snakes.