Latest news with #AaronMann
NDTV
12-08-2025
- General
- NDTV
Florida Man Earns Rs 87,000 Reward After Capturing 87 Pythons In A Month
A Florida man bagged 87 invasive Burmese pythons in a month and earned a $1,000 (approx Rs 87,000) reward through the state incentive system. Aaron Mann won the monthly prize money as part of the South Florida Water Management District's (SFWMD) Python Elimination Program, reported The New York Post. The program encourages knowledgeable Sunshine State citizens to catch and kill as many of the state's invasive Burmese pythons as possible. The incentives include by-the-foot compensation and monthly prizes for the highest catch count. Mann won the reward for July. The annual Florida Python Challenge attracted a large number of participants last year. However, they managed to kill only 200 of the reptiles throughout the 10-day hunt. The winner of the challenge last year took home a $10,000 (Rs 8.7 lakh) incentive after removing 20 pythons, which is a small portion of Mann's total. In addition to the winner, specialised python removal workers are also compensated $50 (Rs 4,400) for each snake they capture. They get an additional $25 (Rs 2,200) for each foot for snakes longer than the typical 4 feet. According to SFWMD, the Python Elimination Program aims to reduce the invasive python population, which poses a significant threat to the ecosystem by preying on native birds, mammals, and reptiles. The reptiles can measure as long as 18 feet in length and are capable of swallowing an entire deer whole. They also have no natural predators to keep their numbers in check. The program is part of the state's efforts to control the snake population in the Everglades, which has grown significantly since the 1990s. While the officials aren't sure what the precise count is, the state continues to implement new measures, including a tracking program using "cartoonish robot rabbits" to detect pythons and dispatch removal agents. Once a python is detected through the tracking system, officials send a removal agent to capture and eliminate the snake, who would then receive compensation for their efforts. Roughly 19,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2000, reported Fox Weather Service.
New York Post
12-08-2025
- General
- New York Post
Florida man catches 87 invasive pythons in a month, awarded $1K through state incentive system
A Florida man with near-unmatched gumption for slaying snakes was awarded $1,000 through a new state incentive system for capturing a staggering 87 invasive pythons in just one month. Aaron Mann clinched the monthly prize as part of South Florida Water Management District's Python Elimination Program, which encourages skilled Sunshine State residents to capture and kill as many of its invasive Burmese pythons as possible. 3 Aaron Mann won $1,000 for capturing the most Burmese pythons in the state in July. SFWMD Advertisement Mann posed victoriously with one of his bounties alongside a hunting partner, draping the monstrous reptile over both their shoulders while reveling in their kill count — and impending reward. In early 2025, the program introduced a monetary award that will be doled out to the daredevils with the highest count each month. The Sunshine State already sponsors a series of other events aimed at tapering the python population bit by bit, including the annual Florida Python Challenge, which saw a slew of participants only wipe out 200 of the reptiles over the 10-day hunt last year — a mere fraction of Mann's bounty. Advertisement 3 Florida also offers other incentives, including by-the-foot compensation for pythons. The News-Press-USA TODAY NETWORK Last year's Challenge winner only removed 20 pythons, but brought home a $10,000 reward. Additionally, specialized python removal agents are paid $50 for each snake they secure, with an extra $25 thrown in for every foot on snakes stretching longer than the average 4 feet. In 2023, a 19-foot python was captured in Florida, which would be worth $425 under the new incentive programs. Advertisement The state also introduced a tracking program using cartoonish robot rabbits that would alert the SFWMD when it spots a python. From there, officials would dispatch someone to remove the snake — likely one of the removal agents who would additionally be compensated for their efforts. 3 The Burmese python is a non native, invasive species in Florida. South Florida Water Management District The Burmese pythons have roamed Florida's Everglades since the 1990s, despite being a non native species to the US. Their population has only grown, and officials have no idea what the exact count could be by now. Roughly 19,000 have been removed from the Everglades since 2000, according to Fox Weather Service.
