CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A python was lurking in the darkness near a northwest Cape Coral home Monday, and neighbors took their own safety into their hands.

“And it scared us,” Kevin Monroe said.

He and his wife just came back from a vacation, and they went to throw something away outside near their garage. That is when they saw a very long shadow.

It was a huge Burmese python lying there.

“We estimated it to be about 9 feet long,” he said. “Somewhat coiled, and her head was near the garage trash can and near the door. I’ve never seen a snake that big other than at a zoo.”

They did not know what to do, so they called anyone and everyone they could think of.

“They said that they had no recent sightings within the past couple of years,” he said.

After making those calls, no one was able to come and help Monday night. So, Kevin and his neighbors found a way to keep themselves and each other safe. Now there is a mark on their driveway to remind them of how they dealt with it.

“Took a couple of us to corner it and get a hold of it, and we took care of it,” he said.

He said this slithering trespasser used its strength to fight back.

“Its mouth was as big as probably my hand opening,” Monroe said.

Kevin and his two neighbors humanely killed this invasive species.

“That is what the game commissioner told us to do,” he said.

And wildlife officers recorded the sighting.

“Not terribly surprising that we are going to start to see more of these pythons in these areas,” FGCU wildlife biology assistant professor Andrew Durso said.

Normally, these massive snakes call the Everglades their home. But FGCU biology professors said they are hearing of Cape Coral sightings more now than ever before.

“They don’t travel in packs of any kind. They are not really social animals,” Durso said.

Even with that said, it never hurts to stay alert and keep an eye on your pets.