NAPLES, Fla. — A Florida man shot and killed a 12-foot-6-inch Burmese python last week after finding it wrapped around the body of a one of his family’s missing goats.
Scott Dame, who owns a pest control business, told WTVT that his 10-year-old grandson first found the dead goat on his family's small farm in Naples. The python had the goat's head in its mouth, according to the news station.
Graphic video of the encounter was posted to social media by Dame's granddaughter and later shared by WINK's Channing Frampton. (Warning: The video may disturb some viewers. Discretion is advised.)
The video showed Dame approaching the snake-wrapped goat and firing multiple shots at it. As the python tries to slither away, Dame steps on the reptile and fires again, killing it.
>> Read more Floridoh! stories
It took eight shots to kill the snake. The python managed to kill two goats on the Dame family farm before it was discovered, according to a Facebook post on Dame Pest Solutions Inc.
"Although I have dealt with a lot of snakes over the years, I never expected this huge exotic snake in my own yard," Dame told WTVT.
Burmese pythons are an invasive species at the top of the food chain in the Everglades. They have no natural predators.
The Palm Beach Post contributed to this report.
Dangerous Snakes