Battle Against Invasive Pythons in Florida’s Everglades

Battle Against Invasive Pythons in Florida’s Everglades

In the United States, the state of Florida and its Everglades National Park are combating an invasion of pythons. Through year-round hunts and the “Florida Python Challenge” competition, Florida is attempting to rid the famous Everglades of Burmese pythons, massive snakes that have overrun the region and threaten the ecosystem.

The Burmese python became a trendy pet in the 1980s in Florida. However, when the trend faded, owners released the snakes into the Everglades National Park in the southern part of the state. Two crucial factors were overlooked: this Burmese python, ranging from 3 to 6 meters in length, has no natural predators, and females can lay over fifty eggs per year!

As a result, the species multiplied rapidly, with potentially tens of thousands now present in the wilds of southern Florida. They feed on alligators, deer, and protected species. In a 2012 government study, it was noted that the raccoon population had halved in ten years, and the lynx population had plummeted by 87%. Authorities have long been seeking ways to eradicate these pythons. Thus, an annual competition was established in 2013 – the “Florida Python Challenge.”

No firearms allowed, and training is required

This competition takes place in August and lasts just over a week, during the period when the animal is most readily found. The participant who eliminates the most pythons wins $10,000. However, merely signing up is not sufficient to partake in this contest. Participants must complete an online training course and score over 85% on a test to validate the training. Another crucial rule: the python must be killed “humanely,” without the use of firearms. The competition’s website details the procedure: stun the snake and insert a screwdriver into its skull. This year, over 800 people tried their luck, including approximately 150 military personnel and forty professional hunters.

Since the inaugural competition in 2013, participants have removed around 1,000 pythons. While this is far from enough to halt the invasion, authorities also work year-round with professional hunters who have eliminated 11,000 pythons. The Associated Press agency followed one of them, who expressed his displeasure at having to kill the snakes, but it has unfortunately become his profession. Paid $13 an hour – $18 if he must traverse the Everglades marshes – he then receives a bonus based on the snake’s size, considering that a python can reach 5 meters. The initial meter is valued at $50, and subsequently $25 for each additional 30-centimeter segment.