Cyclist spots invasive python on bike route in Pines ... then needs police backup
On an early morning ride, a bicyclist in Pembroke Pines requested help from the Pembroke Pines Police Department after an unusual passenger latched onto his arm.
According to an Instagram post from the department, a man was biking through U.S. 27 when he spotted a 6-foot invasive Burmese python along the route’s levee.
Since his catch was outside of the annual Florida Python Challenge, where hundreds compete in a competition to see who removes the most invasive reptiles from South Florida’s ecology, he called the police for backup.
“When officers arrived it was hard to determine who had a grip on who between Robert and the python,” the Feb. 11 post reads.
Officers stayed with him until the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to their call and took custody of the large reptile.
According to the FWC, there have been over 23,500 pythons removed from natural areas in Florida as of April 2025.
Residents are encouraged to report Burmese pythons sightings to the FWC’s Exotic Species hotline at 888-483-4681.
Burmese pythons are only protected in Florida through anti-cruelty law and are allowed to be humanely captured and killed year-round. According to the FWC, you don’t need a permit or hunting license on 32 Commission-managed lands in South Florida.
The commission does not offer compensation for pythons except to contracted members of the Python Action Team Removing Invasive Constrictors (PATRIC) program and winners of the annual python challenge.
