Like the wild hog problem in southern states such as Texas, Florida has an invasive species problem all their own. After being established sometime in the 1980’s, Burmese pythons have since become an unnatural extension of the landscape in the swamps of the Florida Everglades.
Acting as an apex predator, these large snakes, measuring upwards of 20 feet in length, are disrupting the natural environment and can lay clutches of up to 50 eggs at a time.
While hunting these snakes is nothing new in the state, a recent proposal tabled by the South Florida Water Management District could see would-be snake hunters garnering an hourly wage for their services along with bonuses for each snake killed. The two-month pilot project would be backed by $175, 000 and would be restricted to state land in Miami-Dade County.
The Miccosukee Tribe, who own the perpetual lease on the land and utilize it for hunting and other cultural practices have long sought a program that would aid them in removing these snakes from the landscape.
“The only way we are going to solve this problem is with the public help. Of course, there will need to be strict controls on access. But I think it’s a great idea,” Truman Duncan, the tribe’s water resources director, told the Miami Herald. “Our Wildlife Officers only patrol Tribal lands. That leaves the majority of the Everglades with very little protection.”
Over the course of the invasion, multiple strategies have been employed to contain the snakes. In addition to public hunting (for which hunters are not paid), snake-sniffing dogs, apps and radio collars have all been deployed to shrink populations.
None have been terribly successful in slowing down the rapid reproduction of the massive constrictor.
