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Mar. 1, 2018
SFWMD Python Hunters Eliminate 900th Snake During National Invasive Species Awareness Week
Eliminated snake total highlights District's ongoing efforts to eradicate invasive species to protect the ecosystem
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| The SFWMD Governing Board's Python Elimination Program has eliminated 900 Burmese pythons in less than a year, the most successful program ever conducted in Florida aimed at tackling the spread of this invasive predator. |
West Palm Beach, FL - This week hunters participating in the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board's Python Elimination Program achieved the latest milestone for this highly successful initiative by eliminating the 900th snake. An average of three pythons have been eliminated per day from SFWMD lands since the program began in March 2017.
"This Governing Board program has been enormously effective in killing this relentless predator in an effort to preserve native Everglades wildlife," said SFWMD scientist Mike Kirkland, project manager for the Python Elimination Program. "The sheer numbers and the sizes of the snakes being caught demonstrate how massive a threat these predators are to our beautiful habitat."
Hunter Eric Bramblet dispatched the 900th python in Collier County, a 5.5-foot long snake. This record high total comes as SFWMD observes National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Feb. 26-March 2, which is meant to bring attention to the problem of exotic and invasive plants and animals that are wreaking havoc on ecosystems throughout the world. In addition to the innovative program fighting the spread of Burmese pythons, the SFWMD Governing Board for years has budgeted millions of dollars in cooperation with other state and federal partners to eradicate and control invasive species such as Melaleuca, Brazilian pepper trees and the invasive fern Lygodium.
All the pythons eliminated by the program would stretch approximately 6,400 feet - or roughly 1.25 miles - and weigh more than 15,000 pounds, or the equivalent of approximately 7.5 tons. Elected officials and celebrities ranging from U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., to superstar chef Gordon Ramsey have taken part in the hunt, bringing international awareness to the issue of this invasive species and the District's efforts to eradicate them. Kirkland and the python hunters were also featured in a Discovery Channel television special highlighting the program.
"The taxpayers of Florida have invested billions of dollars to restore the natural beauty and health of Florida's Everglades, a rare ecosystem that is critical to our state," said U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., a participant and champion for the Python Elimination Program. "It is important that we all do our part to control invasive species, protect native wildlife, and protect the taxpayer's investment. I applaud Mike, the python hunters, and the entire South Florida Water Management District staff for their efforts in removing 900 Burmese Pythons."
About the Program
A team of professional python hunters was selected from more than 1,000 applicants and given access to District-owned lands in Miami-Dade County for the pilot phase and later in Broward and Collier counties as the program expanded. These independent contractors are paid $8.25 per hour, up to eight hours daily, to hunt in the Everglades. Depending on the size of the snake presented, hunters can also receive additional payments of $50 for pythons measuring up to 4 feet and an extra $25 for each foot measured above 4 feet. An additional $200 is given for each eliminated python nest with eggs.
The invasive Burmese python, which breeds and multiplies quickly and has no natural predator in the Everglades ecosystem, has decimated native populations of wildlife. The more that can be eliminated, especially females and their eggs, the better chance future generations of native wildlife will have to thrive in the Everglades ecosystem that Floridians have invested billions of dollars to restore.
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The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that manages the water resources in the southern part of the state. It is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Our mission is to protect South Florida's water resources by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems.
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