Story of massive python found at local restaurant goes viral

ISLES OF CAPRI, Fla. – It’s a story that’s going viral. WINK News was first to show you the video of a 15 foot python found outside of a restaurant in Collier County. WINK News spoke with the man who owns that restaurant. He says kids and dogs play on the dock where they found the huge snake.

The Pelican Bend restaurant on Isles of Capri has seen a lot of special visitors, but Wednesday’s night unexpected guest beats them all.

“All the Glades I’ve run, all the swamp buggying I’ve run and everything, that’s the first big python that I’ve seen. He’s in my back door,” said Pelican Bend restaurant owner, Mike Cooper.

A customer told Cooper about the massive burmese python on the dock. The word about the spectacle traveled so fast, firefighters next door heard about it and came running to help.

“I mean a 15 foot snake sitting on a dock. Its not something you see everyday,” said firefighter Christopher Mercier.

It took four men including a fish and wildlife officer to capture the snake. They estimate it weighs 200 pounds. A frightening thought in a place where hundreds of customers come to eat daily, where dogs run around, and where kids, like 7-year-old Axton Middlebrook come to fish everyday. But, he tells WINK News, he was not scared.

“I got my picture right next to it and its tail was like pointing up to me trying to wrap me up,” said Middlebrook.

Despite the famous folks who’ve come here to enjoy the view, Wednesday night’s special visitor would be hard to forget.

“We had one of the high end politicians here last year. I think the snake made a bigger splash than he did,” said Cooper.

The snake was not euthanized. Instead, a snake specialist is keeping it so he can study it.