Need some extra cash? It is a new way to deal with giant pythons that have invaded and taken over the everglades in Florida. You can hunt them for cash. It is a unique competition to deal with the problem. This particular snake can grow to more than 20 feet long. They have been known to eat alligators whole. Hmmmmn choose your adversity. Alligators or pythons. Right now the snakes are winning the battle swallowing everything and everything from fish to birds to alligators. Are we next? Let us find out. Yes the government has allowed any stupid human willing to dive in the everglades and see if they can just grab a snake for cash? I guess that is also a way to deal with human over population too.

The wild Burmese python is one of the most dangerous and largest pythons in the world. How did they get into the everglades anyway? Someone probably just threw their unwanted “pets” in there and now we have a real problem. There are places where you don’t even see or hear a bird anymore. There can be danger with every step in the everglades now. It is believed that tens of thousands have taken over the Florida everglades now terrorizing everything else that was wild there. The snakes have been overflowing into neighborhoods eating cats and being found in laundry baskets or lurking around on your property.

More than 800 people have come from all parts of America to compete in the 2016 Python Challenge which is a month long contest inviting just about anyone to hunt and grab to trade in these snakes for cold hard cash dead or alive. My question is who will be the dead or alive ones, people or pythons? The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission even has classes to teach you how to catch the slithering monsters. The contest is open to anyone. Some wacko parents are even bringing their children to compete. They must hate their kids. Sure you guys got experience. You went on that Easter egg hunt last week didn’t you? Now get in there and find some pythons for pay!

There is always a group of expert hunters that thrive on the dangerous excitement and within minutes they find a snake just looking at them with their head up out of the murky high grass waters. Within minutes with their bare hands the experts can grab the snake right under the outstretched mouth and holding the long body with their other hand live. The big ones are shoved into barrels. You don’t want to touch them for long because even just the end tip of their body can crush you quickly. The caught snakes are brought to the University of Florida where they will study the snakes for environmental impact.  The competition barely makes a difference but it at least brings attention to the problem and how it is changing the eco-system of the everglades.

A place that used to house thousands of different birds now holds tens of thousands of snakes. PETA isn’t even complaining about the hunt. We all hate snakes. One expert team caught 33 out of 106 pythons caught in the competition. One python was 15 feet long and the winning team won $8,000 in prize money.  Go ahead! Face your fears in the Florida everglades!