The Only Jewish Burmese Python Hunter in Florida

Dave Leibman Bagged Four of the Snakes in Everglades Hunt

courtesy of dave leibman

Culture Clash: Dave Leibman came in third in Florida’s Python Challenge. He boasts that he’s the ‘only Jewish redneck’ around.

By Susan Armitage

Published February 24, 2013, issue of March 01, 2013.

(Page 3 of 3)

“There he is, holding the head, and he’s asking me not to worry about it as we’re stretching these animals out one at a time,” Prenner told the Forward. “I handed the front part of the tape measure to him from afar. I pulled (it) out like a foot or so, and said, ‘Here, you grab it.’ I walked the rest of the tape measure all the way to the tail end.”

Prenner describes his one-of-kind neighbor as a passionate, articulate advocater of the environment. “Dave just has a keen sense of the outdoors,” he said. “He definitely is in tune with nature.”

Experts aren’t sure how many Burmese pythons are actually in the Everglades, but more than 1,800 have been removed since 2002. The Nature Conservancy cites estimates of 30,000 to 100,000.

Leibman takes a more conservative stance, and it’s enough to keep him in his pickup, ready to jump at a moment’s notice.

“I believe there’s at least one more out there,” he said.

Contact Susan Armitage at feedback@forward.com

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