Thousands of Pythons Removed From Everglades

Namely, 5K since 2017
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 3, 2020 1:46 AM CDT
Thousands of Pythons Removed From Everglades
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / praisaeng)

Burmese pythons have invaded the Florida Everglades and are wreaking havoc, and last week, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced it has removed 5,000 of them from the ecosystem since a python elimination program was established in 2017. The snakes, which likely got established after pets were either released or escaped into the wild, are not found naturally in Florida, and they kill or take food away from many other species, CNN reports. They can grow to more than 20 feet long, Fox News adds. "Each invasive python eliminated represents hundreds of native Florida wildlife saved," says a member of the South Florida Water Management District's governing board. (The pythons have even been known to eat alligators.)

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