It was supposed to be a peaceful afternoon hike — nothing but sunshine, fresh air, and the sound of rustling leaves. But for 29-year-old Daniel R., that serene walk through the woods turned into a spine-chilling nightmare in a matter of seconds.
As he walked along a quiet forest path, Daniel felt a sudden tug on his leg. At first, he thought he’d stepped into a thorn bush or gotten snagged on a tree root. But when he looked down… he froze.
Wrapped around his ankle was something alive.
“I didn’t even scream,” Daniel said. “I just stood there in shock.”
What he saw was a massive, coiled creature — thick, muscular, and slithering with purpose. It was a python — over 12 feet long — and it had already started constricting his leg. He had no idea how it got there, but it had blended so perfectly with the forest floor, he’d walked right into its path.
Daniel knew any wrong move could be his last. “I remembered hearing that struggling only makes it worse,” he said. “So I just stayed perfectly still.”
But that wasn’t the scariest part.
As he tried to slowly reach for his phone, he saw movement from the corner of his eye. A second snake — smaller, but fast — slithered out from the nearby brush. Now he wasn’t just fighting off one predator… there were two.
With his heart pounding, Daniel made a desperate move: he grabbed a fallen branch and struck the python near its head, hoping to startle it. Miraculously, it worked. The snake loosened its grip just long enough for him to scramble backward and escape.
By the time he ran out of the forest and flagged down help, he was trembling, scratched up, and barely able to speak.
Wildlife experts say pythons that large are extremely rare in that region, but climate changes and illegal pet releases could explain their appearance. “He’s lucky to be alive,” one expert said. “A few more minutes, and that snake could’ve completely wrapped around him.”
Daniel says he won’t be hiking alone again anytime soon — and he’s warning others to stay alert, especially in wooded or marshy areas.