FL Mom Halts Thanksgiving Preparations To Capture 7-Foot Python

Tampa FL

25 November, 2021

6:30 PM

Description

FLORIDA — In his home in the Everglades, Mike Kimmel is undeniably a local legend. A state-contracted invasive wildlife agent with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Southwest Florida Water Management District's Python Elimination Program, he answers to either Trapper Mike or Python Cowboy. Over the years, he's been featured in dozens of newspaper articles and featured in wildlife magazine. There's even a comic book based on the exploits of the Python Cowboy. But on Thanksgiving Day, it was his mom, not him, who garnered worldwide attention in a TikTok video that went viral, racking up more than 2.9 million views in four days. Kimmel was visiting his 69-year-old mother, Lorraine Kimmel, in Stuart, Florida, for Thanksgiving. He'd brought along his contribution to the family feast, a large python he planned to euthanize and cook up for dinner. Believe it or not, python meat is considered quite tasty and has begun showing up on menus in Florida restaurants. Unfortunately, in a family fiasco Mike Kimmel has dubbed "Snakesgiving," the python got away from him and attempted to get into his mom's car. "She didn't like that python doing that," Mike Kimmel said. Wearing flip-flops and the apron she had donned to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, Lorraine Kimmel grabbed the 7-foot-long python's tale. With her son coaxing it from the other end, she proceeded to pull it from beneath her car, seemingly unfazed by the fact that she'd just done battle with a huge snake that would cause most people to flee in terror. Mike Kimmel posted the video on TikTok, noting in the caption, "She's a natural python hunter, that's for sure. I can see where I get it." The irony of the video going viral and getting featured on Newsweek magazine wasn't lost on Kimmel, owner of Martin County Trapping & Wildlife Rescue. He produces a series of wildlife videos on his Python Cowboy YouTube channel that has a loyal following of nearly 97,000 subscribers. But, wouldn't you know it? It's his mom who gets all the fame. "Nice job, mom," Mike Kimmel tells her on the video.