Now in its 11th year, Florida Python Challenge continues goal to stabilize Everglades ecosystem
EVERGLADES - Those participating in this year's Florida Python Challenge have until Sunday evening to bag as many of the invasive Burmese pythons as possible.
The state of Florida, through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), has held the annual Python Challenge since 2013.
But catching the pythons is not as easy as you may think. This time of year, you usually don't see them unless it's dark out.
They are everywhere, yet they're hard to find. Pythons are buried under the brush in the Everglades and it requires a hunter's sharp eye to see them when it is dark.
Kennith Chamberland is a licensed python remover for the state. He's paid for each python he removes. He only needs a few tools, other than that, it's grab them and bag them, with his bare hands.
"It's just easier to manage the snake. You get the head you get control of the snake," Chamberland said.
His team is participating in this year's Python Challenge. The South Florida Water Management District rewards people that catch pythons. That's because they say the snake has been killing off the ecosystem in the Everglades. They'll eat any animal they can fit in their mouth.
"If you go down to Everglades National Park you'll be hard-pressed to find a single marsh rabbit there. A single possum. A single white-tailed deer," said Mike Kirkland of SFWMD.
Kirkland says the pythons are native to southeast Asia, and they were first spotted in Florida in the 1970s. They were not a prohibited species until 2012.
"We believe they were released into the wildlife of Florida as a result of intentional releases," Kirkland said.
CBS News Miami spent more than five hours going up and down a trail, shining lights with a lot of stop-and-go in an attempt to find a python.
"It's better to stop and look and double-check because if you drive past it you only get one shot," said Jack Meyer, a member of Chamberland's team.
But we were unsuccessful in finding one. Chamberland's team is only paid if they catch one.
Chamberland has caught 50 pythons this year and has caught 3 so far for the Python Challenge.
The Florida Python Challenge ends on Sunday at 6 p.m.