An update on the great python hunt in the Everglades :
As of this week, only 50 Burmese pythons have been killed by the 1,547 people
who signed up to take part in the month-long hunt, which is sponsored by the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation department. It ends Sunday, February 10.
How many pythons are out there in the swamps is anybody's
guess. Estimates are from several hundred to several hundred thousand. What is
known for sure is that the snakes are well camouflaged and growing bigger every
day on a diet of just about everything that moves. The big ones - ranging to 15
feet and even larger - have no natural predators, so man is about the only way
for the pythons, an invasive and non-native species, to be kept under control.
Several hundred people who signed up to participate in the
state-sponsored hunt are professionals, but most have come out for a lark -
from as far away as Canada .
There's some prize money involved, including $1,000 for the biggest snake
caught in both the amateur and professional categories.
Some female pythons have been found with 50 eggs inside. So
what are the chances, really, of decreasing the overall number of these creepy
crawlies?
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