A Kentucky man who owned a reptile shop was found by local police engaged in a death match with a 20-foot python. According to a report from Reuters the man is expected to make a full recovery after his battle with the 125-pound snake.

Terry Wilkins was discovered around noon on Monday in his shop in Newport, KY, a Cincinnati suburb. Wilkins was found unconscious with the snake wrapped tightly around his neck.

Officers acted quickly and grabbed the snake’s head. They proceeded to untangle Wilkins from the snake’s grip, but called emergency responders when they noticed he wasn’t breathing. As rescue workers arrived, the shop owner’s breathing returned.

Wilkins was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital and received two dozen stitches to patch a wound left by the snake’s teeth on his arm. Wilkins was reportedly cleaning the snake’s cage when it grasped his arm and pulled him in.

Wilkins called to a woman in the shop at the time to grab a bleach bottle with hot water in an effort to get the snake to release him. The water proved insufficient, however, and by the time she got back with another full bottle, the snake had already begun to choke the shop owner with its forceful body. The snake was unharmed throughout the entire incident.