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WBBH (Fort Myers, Florida) 23 November 05 Python Pete hunts non-native snakes (Jamie Yuccas)
Lee County: Burmese pythons are slithering their way into south Florida's state parks, but they're not supposed to be there. Over the last two years, the non-native reptiles have found their way into Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier Seminole State Park, and hundreds have been spotted in Everglades National Park. Biologists are using an unusual tool to combat the problem.
"They're clearly breeding, if not well established in many areas of Everglades National Park," said Everglades biologist Skip Snow.
Snow hunts the giants.
In the past year, 40 non-native Burmese pythons were taken out of the wilderness, 156 have been captured in the last decade.
When they're babies, the pythons are only two feet long, but in the wild they can grow to more than 20 feet long. When they grow that big, they compete for food with native species like alligators.
Simply put, they threaten the very livelihood of the animals who truly belong in south Florida.
That's why Snow is making sure he finds as many as he can. He's setting up a hotline to report sightings.
"If you are calling to report a python observation, briefly describe what you saw," said Snow.
He's also making prototypes for possible traps. And he has enlisted the help of friends Python Pete, Burmese Bob and trainer Lori Oberhofer.
Oberhofer sets up a course three times a week, dragging Burmese Bob through the weeds.
This winter, Python Pete will start his new job sniffing for snakes.
"We're hoping he's one of our biggest tools in our toolbox," said Oberhofer.
Snow says with so many pet owners letting their unwanted snakes go in the wild, the python problem won't be going away anytime soon.
"This is something we did to ourselves," said Snow.
For the next several years, his team will try to fix it.
Biologists are lobbying for increased national and state funding to do more research on the pythons. They say they also need the money to develop traps that won't hurt native Florida snakes.
As for Python Pete, his trainer says he should be safe out in the field, thanks to a short leash.
Python Pete hunts non-native snakes