A Florida man was praised for catching an 8ft-long python - only to then be slapped with a $180 fine.

Yatir Nitzany, 42, was riding his bike when he spotted the Burmese python on the side of the road in Everglades National Park.

'The python had a visible bulge a third of the way down its body, indicating it had just killed and swallowed another animal,' Nitzany said in a Facebook post.

Due to his past snake-handling experience, Nitzany said he felt obligated to capture the reptile and hand it over to a ranger for the safety of the park's wildlife and nearby passing children. 

Other observers took photos and videos as Nitzany restrained the snake before it could slither away.

Nitzany was allegedly met with praise and congratulations as he held onto the snake for approximately 30 minutes until a park ranger was able to come to the scene.

When the ranger arrived, Nitzany was 'rewarded' for his work with a $180 fine and a citation for handling wildlife without a permit. 

Burmese pythons are an extremely invasive species that have contributed to extreme negative effects on the south Florida ecosystem.

'One python can lay 50 eggs, and those pythons 50 more eggs as the process continues,' Nitzany said. 

Although they contain no venom and pose very little risk to humans, they are considered one of the biggest threats to the Everglades' ecosystem due to their ability to devour a variety of medium-sized mammals, birds, and other native wildlife.

Since 2013, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's python research has been removing Burmese pythons from the area.

During the most recent breeding season, from November 2025 to April 2026, the team captured 177 pythons.

The park even supports the removal of pythons, holding the state's 2026 Python Challenge in July for anyone interested in assisting with invasive python management.  

Burmese pythons may be captured and humanely killed without a permit or hunting license year-round in south Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

However, according to the citation, Nitzany violated a regulation that requires a permit to handle wildlife in the federally controlled National Park.

'My action saved thousands of natural wildlife animals,' Nitzany wrote, as he claimed he wouldn't hesitate to do the same thing again.

On June 12, Nitzany went to court with the support of Ron Magill, a wildlife advocate and Michael Rosenberg, president of Pets' Trust Miami.

Nitzany claims the case was dismissed 10 minutes before he was scheduled to walk into the courtroom.

He was informed the dismissal was due to the citation being 'improperly written.'

The Daily Mail reached out to Oscar Freeman, the park ranger who issued the citation, who chose not to comment.

The Daily Mail has contacted the Everglades National Park Service for comment.

Although Nitzany was cleared of his citation, Magill is actively working to change the federal law so that others trying to help the environment aren't punished. 

Magill told the Daily Mail that he had already made calls to congressmen to find out the steps needed to amend the rules.

He specified that he in no way wanted to get rid of the law and 'open Pandora's box' for anyone to go searching in the Everglades for pythons, but he is hoping for exceptions for circumstances where proper steps are taken.

'People who responsibly help protect our native ecosystems from invasive species should not have to choose between doing the right thing and being punished for it,' Magill said in a statement.