When you think of a python hunter, you probably don't picture a petite blonde woman... But Amy Siewe is just that. She calls herself "The Python Huntress", and she's caught over 300 pythons over the last three years.
There are only 100 licensed python hunters in the world. Only 15 of them are women, and Amy is one of them.
Originally from Ohio, Amy was a successful real estate broker who always had a passion for snakes. In 2019, she learned of the invasive python problem in Florida and decided to try her luck at catching one. She teamed up with a professional python hunter and ended up catching a 9-foot snake on her first mission. She was hooked.
She can't really explain her fascination with snakes, and says she just always liked them. She volunteered at the Toledo Zoo while she was in college and trained as a snake breeder. She says she's not afraid of pythons and that her life-long experience with them has allowed her to be successful. She also appreciates the beauty of pythons and wishes they didn't have to be killed, but she knows the threat they pose to the ecosystem in Florida. She's learned how to skin them and make jewelry and other objects, which she believes keeps their beauty alive in the world.
Source: Axios Tampa Bay