"It was a milestone moment in Florida’s 25-year war on invasive Burmese pythons: an eye-popping announcement that biologists had removed 20 tons of the slithering invaders from waters in and around the Everglades in little more than a decade, as well as shattering their previous record for a single-season haul.
The successes of the team at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida showcase the progress that has been made in efforts to reverse the snakes’ takeover of the state’s natural wilderness, even though experts concede they will probably never be completely eradicated.
“Every single python that’s removed is positive for the environment,” said Mike Kirkland, python program manager at the south Florida water management district, which with its own partners has separately tracked and euthanized more than 15,650 individuals of a predatory species blamed for a calamitous decline in the Everglades’ native mammal population.
“We’re getting better and better at removing this invasive species. We’re learning more about their behavior and life history, and their non-native range here in south Florida, which is leading to more removals and hopefully innovation and novel strategies going forward."
Richard Luscombe reports for the Guardian June 16, 2025.
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