Latest news with #SouthFloridaWaterManagementDistrict
New York Post
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Florida deploys furry robot rabbits to fight invasive Burmese python overpopulation
Night of the Robbits! A water management district in Florida's Everglades is using robot rabbits to help monitor and eventually eliminate its ever-growing population of invasive Burmese pythons that have wreaked havoc on native animals. The solar-powered rabbits were let loose into the Everglades shortly after the annual Florida Python Challenge, a 10-day competition that draws hundreds of eager snake wranglers to hunt the invasive reptiles. 4 The South Florida Water Management District is using robot rabbits to help stamp out the invasive Burmese python. South Florida Water Management District The robot bunnies, while cartoonish in appearance, are equipped with an artificial intelligence-powered camera that alerts officials with the South Florida Water Management District when they spot a python. From there, someone will be dispatched to remove the snake, according to a news release. The robots were designed to mimic real rabbits' movements and include mechanics to imitate a live one's heat signature and scent, which pythons hone in on when hunting real-life bunnies. 4 The robots include a replicated heat signature that matches that of a live rabbit — a common meal for pythons. South Florida Water Management District The invasive pythons can measure as long as 18 feet in length and are capable of swallowing an entire deer whole. It's unclear how the robot rabbits may stack up against the pythons, or how many the district may lose to the reptiles' appetites. The Burmese python, a non native species to the United States, was first recorded in the Sunshine State in the 1990s. Since then, its population has skyrocketed exponentially, though officials aren't sure what the precise count is. More than 19,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2000, according to Fox Weather Service. 4 The Burmese python was first recorded in Florida in the 1990s. South Florida Water Management District Others have been either killed or removed during promoted events like the Florida Python Challenge. Last year's winner wiped out a staggering 20 pythons and clinched the $10,000 grand prize. The species is exempted from the state's animal protection legislation — except for the anti-cruelty law — and can be humanely killed year-round with or without a hunting permit or license, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 4 The python has nearly eliminated the native raccoon and possum in the Everglades. South Florida Water Management District Still, the python's domination is clear when looking at the damage other species in the Everglades have suffered. The populations of raccoons and possums, two easy prey for the gargantuan reptiles, have almost been entirely eradicated from the area, with just 1% or 2% left intact, according to a 2012 study by the United States Geological Survey.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Florida Just Deployed 40 Robot Bunnies to Trick the Worst Predator in the Everglades
Florida's Burmese python problem isn't going away anytime soon. The researchers, snake trackers, and other conservationists working to remove the giant snakes will be the first to tell you that eradicating this invasive species isn't a realistic goal. That hasn't kept them from trying to manage the problem, though, and scientists are now working on a new and futuristic approach to finding and removing pythons: robotic bunny rabbits. Researchers at the University of Florida are hoping these robo-bunnies can be another tool in the python toolbox, similar to the highly successful scout-snake method that has been honed by wildlife biologists at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Only instead of using GPS-collared male pythons to lead them to the females, trackers would use the robots to bring the invasive snakes to them. These are stuffed toys that have been retro-fitted with electrical components so they can be remotely controlled. The robots also have tiny cameras that sense movement and notify researchers, who can then check the video feed to see if a python has been lured in. The University's experiments with robotic rabbits are ongoing, according to the Palm Beach Post, and the research is being funded by the South Florida Water Management District — the same government agency that pays bounties to licensed snake removal experts and hosts the Florida Python Challenge every year. 'Our partners have allowed us to trial these things that may sound a little crazy,' wildlife ecologist and UF project leader Robert McCleery told the Post. 'Working in the Everglades for ten years, you get tired of documenting the problem. You want to address it.' McCleery said that in early July, his team launched a pilot study with 40 robotic rabbits spread out across a large area. These high-tech decoys will be monitored as the team continues to learn and build on the experiment. (As one example, McCleery explained that incorporating rabbit scents into the robots could be worth consideration in the future.) Read Next: These Snake Trackers Have Removed More than 20 Tons of Invasive Pythons from Florida… and They're Just Getting Started The idea of using bunnies as decoys made sense for the team at UF, since rabbits, and specifically marsh rabbits, are some of the favorite prey items for Burmese pythons. Recent studies (including one authored by McCleery) have shown the massive declines in the Everglades' marsh rabbit populations that can be directly attributed to pythons. 'Years ago we were hearing all these claims about the decimation of mesomammals in the Everglades. Well, this researcher thought that sounded far-fetched, so he decided to study it,' says Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist and python tracker based in Naples. 'So, he got a bunch of marsh rabbits, put [GPS] collars on them, and then he let them go in the core Everglades area … Within six months, 77 percent of those rabbits were found inside the bellies of pythons. And he was a believer after that.' Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
09-07-2025
- General
- USA Today
Why hunters are chasing invasive snakes in Florida's 10-day python challenge
The annual Florida Python Challenge starts July 11 at 12:01 a.m. ET and ends at 5 p.m. July 20. Participants can win more than $25,000 in prizes as they remove invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida. Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, harm native wildlife. The invasive species is primarily found in and around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. The Florida Python Challenge was created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to help protect the Everglades and its native animals by removing the invasive reptiles. Contestants have 10 days to kill as many Burmese pythons as possible. How many pythons are removed each year in the Python Challenge? Last year, participants in the Florida Python Challenge removed 195 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades. That brought the total number of nonnative constrictors removed in all Florida Python Challenge competitions to 1,112. In 2024, more than 850 people from 33 states and Canada registered for the competition. Where will the python challenge take place? The Florida Python Challenge will take place on eight commission-managed lands in South Florida. This year the Everglades National Park is participating in the Florida Python Challenge. 'We're excited to join our partners in the State of Florida for this year's Florida Python Challenge,' said Pedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park, who oversees the South Florida National Parks and Preserve. 'For years, we've worked alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District and others to manage pythons and other invasive species while educating the public about their impact on the Everglades. This event marks another milestone in that collaboration as we include Everglades National Park in the Challenge.' Where do Burmese pythons live? Originally from Southeast Asia, the Burmese python was introduced to southern Florida either through accidental escape or intentional release of captive animals. In 1979, the first observation of a Burmese python in the wild in South Florida was recorded in Everglades National Park. The heaviest python ever caught in Florida was an 18-foot, 215-pound snake. It was caught by a biologist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples in 2021. Size of the Burmese python The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission keeps track of length and weight of Burmese pythons after sightings are reported. The longest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, in July 2023, measured more than 19 feet. What are the rules of the Florida Python Challenge? ◾ Contestants must carry a printed or digital copy of their Florida Python Challenge registration notification email while hunting. ◾ Contestants must complete required online training and receive a unique completion code. ◾ Only Burmese pythons removed from competition locations are valid entries. ◾ The use of firearms is prohibited. ◾ The use of dogs or other animals to search, capture or kill is prohibited. ◾ Air guns and captive bolts are allowed. ◾ Python carcasses must be kept chilled or frozen, then turned in to the nearest Florida Python Challenge check station within 24 hours of capture. What should you do if you see a Burmese python? Summer is the time of year when you are most likely to see a Burmese python. In the summer months, Burmese pythons may remain sedentary when the sun is up, but at night they may become more active and are more easily spotted crossing levees or roadways. If you spot a Burmese python, take a photo, mark your location and call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-483-4681. You can humanely kill Burmese pythons on private land at any time with a landowner's permission. You don't need a permit to kill the invasive species. Live transport of pythons is not allowed. There are multiple ways to humanely euthanize a python, but here are the basic guidelines from the fish and wildlife commission: ◾ Step 1: Immediate loss of consciousness ◾ Use a captive bolt, firearm or air gun to shoot directly to the brain. ◾ Step 2: Destroy the brain ◾ Make sure the python is unconscious. ◾ Insert a small rod, like a screwdriver, spike or pick, into the cranial cavity and twist it to ensure the entire brain is destroyed. CONTRIBUTING Kendall Little, Naples Daily News SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Largest Everglades flamingo flock in a decade spotted. Are they nesting in Florida?
One of the largest flocks of flamingos in a decade was recently spotted in the Everglades by avian ecologist and restoration scientist Mark Cook. Cook said he stumbled upon a group of 125 American flamingos while conducting a wading bird survey along the Florida Bay coastline last week. The flock is believed to be the largest one spotted in South Florida since 2014, when a group of 147 flamingos was observed in the northern part of the Everglades. Cook said he continued his survey after taking pictures of the group. 'Unfortunately, it's almost impossible not to spook a large group of flamingos from a helicopter and they rapidly took flight,' he wrote in a Facebook post. READ MORE: A flamingo was blown from Mexico to Florida during Idalia. He found his way back home A week prior to his bird wading survey in the Florida Bay, the scientist had spotted a group of 30 something flamingos in the northern Everglades that he believes likely to have joined the bigger flock, he wrote. Flamingos were uncommon sightings in South Florida until recently, since the native flamingo population was largely wiped out by hunters in the 18th century. After Hurricane Idalia hit the state in 2023, the wind scattered flamingos from nesting grounds in Mexico through Florida and as far up as Lake Michigan beach, Wisconsin. 'Flamingos are incredibly fast flyers and can travel large distances in a relatively short amount of time, so it wouldn't be surprising for them to move throughout South Florida and even among the local Caribbean islands on a regular basis,' Cook wrote. Cook oversees the annual South Florida wading bird surveys for the South Florida Water Management District. It's been going on for nearly 30 years. Whether or not flamingos are nesting in Florida and reclaiming historic territory has been a matter of debate. In 2018, scientists unearthed evidence and last year Audubon Florida launched a count to help confirm the matter. But state wildlife officials say native flamingos were wiped out by plume traders and consider any sighted today as migrants from nonnative flocks or descendants of escaped captive birds. Better monitoring flamingos to confirm if they are remaining year round and nesting in the state could lead to better protecting them. Over the years, there have been banding efforts by researchers to track the travel patterns across breeding populations found in the Caribbean and Yucatan Peninsula.
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
What does Florida's weather future look like? Here are trends and predictions
South Florida What does Florida's weather future look like? Here are trends and predictions These articles explore Florida's climate future, highlighting trends in extreme weather, policy and solutions. Technology steps in to address pollution in Biscayne Bay with Miami-Dade launching projects to filter water flowing into the bay. New initiatives aim to clean stormwater pollutants and improve water quality. Concerning sea level rise, Miami anticipates up to two feet by 2060. Local and governmental bodies plan using different sea level forecasts for various projects. A new law may mandate disclosure of a home's flood history to buyers. Real estate agents, alongside experts, recommend flood insurance and checking flood maps to safeguard property investments. Take a look at the stories below. No children were playing on the dinosaur or pony ride at the Little River Pocket Mini Park Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 9, 2021, after the park was flooded with King Tide waters. This type of flooding could be much more common in the future as sea levels rise. By Emily Michot NO. 1: WE ANSWER YOUR CLIMATE QUESTIONS: HOW MUCH SEA LEVEL RISE IS MIAMI EXPECTING? Exactly how high will the tide rise? Scientists have a prediction. | Published April 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris An orange, floating berm used to collect garbage and debris stretches across the Little River just north of the South Florida Water Management District's flood control device near NE 82nd St and NE fourth Pl. Friday October 15, 2021. The berm also marks the end point for any water vessels heading east along the Little River. To continue along the river past this point boats would have to be lifted out of the water and carried across NE 82nd St. By Emily MIchot NO. 2: BISCAYNE BAY IS POLLUTED. MIAMI-DADE HOPES THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP CLEAN IT UP Three pilot projects have been installed in Miami-Dade rivers and canals. | Published April 1, 2025 | Read Full Story by Courtney Heath Water seeps into Sam Demarco's home as a heavy downpour flooded his neighborhood on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Hollywood, Fla. By MATIAS J. OCNER NO. 3: THOUSANDS OF FLORIDA HOMES HAVE FLOODED BEFORE. TIPS TO AVOID BUYING ONE FEMA flood zones are only the place to start. | Published April 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
