This feels illegal but also somehow okay…
One of the major issues plaguing south Florida ecosystems are invasive Burmese pythons. Thought to have taken root in the swamps after some people illegally released their pets, and due to an alleged escape from an illegal exotic pet company, the monstrous snakes have done irreversible damage to the native species of fauna that have long called the Sunshine State home.
A 2012 study of Everglades National Park showed a 99.3% decrease in the number of raccoons, 98.9% decrease in opossums, 87.5% decrease in bobcats, and near 100% decrease in marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes, compared with 1997 population levels.
That study was done over 11 years ago and the python population has done nothing but continue to explode.
To try and combat this problem, python hunters make their way out into the dangerous swamps to try and remove the snakes, but the job is easier said than done. Pythons prefer habitat that is nearly inaccessible and their nests are typically so well hidden it’s nearly impossible to find laid eggs before they hatch. The average female python can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time, meaning there’s almost no way to stop the spread of these huge snakes.
The largest python of all-time was recently captured in Big Cypress National Preserve and it measured an astounding 19 feet long. All of that is to say, these pythons are a major problem, and I just stumbled upon a video which shows a certified Florida Man taking one out in a brutal, but effective way.
When most people think of Florida, they think of alligators and for good reason. Over 1 million swamp puppies lives in nearly every body of water in the state and they have been known to tussle with pythons when they have too. It seems to be a relatively even battle, as we’ve seen both gators beating pythons and pythons beating gators.
But what you may not know is there’s another prehistoric monster swimming in the Everglades.
Florida Fish and Wildlife says there’s around 2,000 American crocodiles, yes crocodiles, that call south Florida home. These beasts are actually a native species and, like many species, are only still present on the land thanks to some great conservation work by both state, federal, and non-government organizations.
We don’t have much context for this video but we can see a decent sized python, maybe 7 or so feet long, has been captured by an outdoorsman named Worth McDaniels. Taking one of these invasive predators out of the water is a huge positive but what he did next is both great and a bit questionable.
Basically, Worth dipped the python into the water and a crocodile took note of a free meal literally dangling before its eyes. Without hesitation, the it bites into the python and the game of human versus croc tug-of-war with a python rope begins. As you would expect, it doesn’t take long for the croc to pull the snake out of Worth’s hands and into the water, where it swims away to feast.
Now, at first glance this does look rough, I’ll admit it. I’d imagine there’s some laws in effect about feeding crocodiles and even though it’s an invasive species, I don’t think this was what the game commission had in mind when they asked people to help dispatch them.
But also, it is removing a problem while feeding a native population, and hopefully getting it in the croc’s mind that they can also do their part to take these invaders out, so I don’t know, I’m torn. It’s kill on sight for Burmese pythons with hunters encouraged to round up as many as possible, and also let’s be honest, it looks really fun…
What do you think? Is it a problem to feed pythons to crocodiles? The jury is still out for me…
