(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Python Challenge doesn't start until August 4th, but for some, it's a year round thing. The Florida Man knows as Python Cowboy who posts his hunts on his You Tube channel just took down another big python and eggs in a nest. This time the credit for finding the snake goes to his dog, Otto. As Python Cowboy puts it " Otto is able to smell and cover so much more land than I could ever do by myself. "
Do NOT feel sorry for this snake. The Burmese python does not belong in the Everglades and poses great risk to the ecosystem and is a threat to native wildlife. As you'll hear in the video, nothing from this hunt is wasted.
What makes this a true Florida man hunt is that he really doesn't use any tools. Just grabs the thing with his hands. The video does a great job of setting things up, but if you want to get to the capture part, skip ahead to 9 minutes.
There's a lot more of this on his You Tube channel to check out. Big python captures make news because those of us that live here know what a problem this is. Now, it's probably impossible that hunters will capture every python in the Everglades...
But that's a python and 25 eggs that won't hatch.
So it's a good day.
You think you can do this? The South Florida Water Management District sponsors an ongoing ‘Python Elimination Program’ and is searching for “a limited number of public-spirited individuals to humanely euthanize these destructive snakes which have become an invasive apex predator in the Everglades. The program provides access to python removal agents on designated lands in Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Palm Beach counties.”
If you think you got what it takes to reach into a hole and yank out a snake, you're better than me. If you'd like to try in the upcoming challenge, here's the link: https://flpythonchallenge.org/
Everglades Gone Wild: 18 Foot Python Eats 5 Foot Alligator
It's bad enough all the pythons that are wrecking the ecosystem of the Everglades. Also, they're spreading out. During a hunt just 3 weeks ago a 14 foot python was captured in Naples.
Many of the snakes being captured seem to be getting larger. Case in point. This 18 foot python was captured with a fully intact 5 foot alligator inside of it. I image he was moving pretty slow after such a large meal and was easy to capture. By the looks of the video it seems that the alligator hasn't been digested at all. Geoscientist Rosie Moore described the video on her Instagram "This particular Python was roughly 18 ft, and had consumed a 5ft alligator. " She goes on to explain why the pythons are such a threat "Due to the the subtropical environment of South Florida, paired with the Burmese pythons long life span and rapid reproduction, these snakes have successfully invaded ecologically sensitive areas such as Everglades National Park. This poses a threat to a variety of wildlife, due to the pythons wide dietary preferences."
Obviously this python definitely does not belong in the Everglades. Kudos to those who captured and euthanized it. No other animal in the swamp stands a change against one of these monsters.
No one's completely certain how the python was introduced in the Everglades. And now it seems they're getting larger. And hungrier.
I don't know her, but Rosie Moore looks to be a total badass. Here's some more from her Instagram:
At home below the water as she is above it. Not sure exactly where this dive is, but it's gorgeous.
Even with it's mouth taped shut. you wouldn't find me on top of a gator like that. You really need to have no fear to do this job.
If you're in Florida, you know how bad the python problem is here. Rosie is doing her part to keep the invasion at bay.
Yes, Florida also has crocodiles. How can she look so calm holding this thing?
A beach shot. Just because.
Shout out to the STEM program. Thank you Rosie.
