Burmese pythons are considered “monsters” slithering throughout the mangrove forests in the Everglades of Florida (USA).
With an average length of about 6m and weight of 90kg full of muscles, pythons This animal eats everything by swallowing everything on its way. Birds, fish, lizards, and invasive insects have become its delicious prey.
For nearly 30 years in this ecosystem, Burmese pythons have been compared to “” “dominant” at the top of the food chain. With their voracious appetite, experts have found that swamp rabbits, deer or even short-snouted crocodiles in the area are almost extinct.
According to Mr. Ron Bergeron, a member of the South Florida Water Management Commission, the situation is so serious that the state has spent billions of dollars supporting Everglades recovery, including costs fee for hiring hunters to destroy pythons, but so far without success.
“Imagine what it would be like if the Everglades had no wildlife? We cannot have a healthy ecosystem without a good food chain,” said Ron.
About a decade ago the Florida government came up with a unique way to solve the problem. Local officials were willing to spend large sums of money to sponsor a week-long python hunt to attract professional hunters. from all over the world.
Initially, the competition only caught 68 pythons, but this year about 1,000 registered hunters managed to kill 209 pythons. The team with the highest achievement catching 20 fish in a week brings home the top prize worth 10,000 USD (more than 240 million VND).
However, up to now, experts have not been able to determine the number. external python environment about how many individuals. The US Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that tens of thousands of them may be roaming throughout South Florida and continuing to invade.
“The Burmese python is an apex predator. When this species matures, basically no animal can hunt them except humans,” commented Ms. McKayla Spencer, coordinator at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Mrs. McKayla said from In 2006, nearly 20,000 pythons were destroyed, of which 11,000 were handled by paid hunters. However, until now it has not been determined whether the program is effective or not. Each year a female python can lay 100 eggs .
Not long ago, according to a document released by the USGS, it was “completely impossible” for local officials to completely eradicate Burmese pythons Still hoping to find a way to eliminate as many of them as possible.
“Each python eliminated causes less harm to our native animals,” Ms. McKayla said.< /p>”
