Python Swallows Pet Peacock in Golden Gate Estates Backyard
GOLDEN GATE ESTATES, Fla. — A Burmese python made its way into a backyard enclosure last week and consumed a pet peacock named Violet. A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) agent had to remove the invasive snake with his bare hands after a frantic call from the pet owner.
Rhett Stanberry, the python agent who responded, expressed sympathy for the pet owner’s loss. “It’s hard for me to see people hurting with their pets being lost. That’s the part that’s difficult… but I can go in and remove the invasive predator,” he stated.
The nearly 9-foot-long female python had already eaten half of the peacock by the time Stanberry arrived. He noted that sightings of Burmese pythons are becoming increasingly common in the area. “They’re expanding their range… and now being found outside of the Everglades,” he said, highlighting the growing conflict between humans and these snakes.
FWC confirmed that homeowners can legally and humanely kill invasive pythons year-round if spotted.
