Palm Beach Post reporter Joe Capozzi was taking a bike ride along Loop Rd. in the Big Cypress National Preserve when he stumbled upon an epic wrestling match. A 6 ft. Florida alligator was battling a big Burmese Python.
Capozzi wrote about his experience,
They were joined as one, a twisted knot plying the water. They would sink like an anchor, wrestling in the depths and stirring the water into a dark silty soup, and then rise to the surface again as the stubborn gator refused to give up the fight. The alligator’s best punches were limited to futile swings of the tail that missed python’s head and struck the water with a splash.
After two minutes the fight seemed to die down, so Capozzie turned off his camera and returned to his bike. Moments later he heard another big splash and ran back to the water. The battle went on for another 10 minutes before the water settled down.
When it was all said and done and the silt began to settle there was no question who won the fight. The pythons head broke the surface and its coiled spotted body could be seen resting on the river bottom wrapped around the defeated gator.