NBC 6 was the first to bring you the story of Jason Leon's wrestling bout with a Burmese python in the Everglades, but now the 23 year old's larger than life catch has gone global.
The part of the hunt that his friend Blake Jordan's lens didn't capture, has been re-imagined by TomoNews US. The media company combines 3-D animation with news footage to create self proclaimed "irreverent yet informative" stories. It reports 20 domestic and international stories from the US, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, according to its Youtube channel.
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Leon who broke a record by hunting the largest python in Florida, is shown dramatically slaying the python measuring in at a whopping 18 feet, 8 inches. The 3-D animation, perhaps as close as you can get to superhero-status.
"Closest thing, I would say yeah," said Leon.
Leon, Jordan and pint sized Veronica Larios had gone out to ride ATVs together on May 11th, when they spotted the snake peeking out in the darkness. In the video shot by Jordan, Larios can be seen wielding the knife that Leon eventually used to make the kill.
But in the reenactment, Larios was illustrated as a man.
"Boys aren't the only ones that will play with snakes," she said.
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"I don't think you see many girls carrying a knife that big," said Leon, who said the creators probably assumed the hunters were all male.
"Honestly, I wouldn't trade a day out with the guys for a day in a mall with a bunch of girls. I enjoy being out all the time, hiking, I love it," said Larios.
Larios helped Leon handle the snake as he tried to tire the reptile out. The hunt took about 20 minutes. The python, which is considered an invasive species in the Everglades, was more than three times Leon's height. At 128 pounds, it outweighs Larios.
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Soon, Leon will be reunited with his prey. He will get to keep the snake's skin and skull.
"He promised me half of it, half and half," said Larios who will be sharing bragging rights with Leon.
Leon said the fact that he even came that close to the snake in the wild is trophy enough.
"We've been hunting before and never found one," he said.
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