Alligator spotted dragging massive Burmese python in Florida Everglades

Alligator spotted dragging massive Burmese python

Visitors to Florida’s Everglades National Park were shocked to witness an alligator hauling a massive Burmese python.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Visitors to Florida’s Everglades National Park were shocked to witness an alligator hauling a massive Burmese python.

The snake, which was noticeably larger than the gator, was an unexpected sight for the onlookers. Alligators are carnivorous, "apex" predators that will eat just about anything, including other alligators, wildlife officials say.

The Burmese python is an invasive species that has posed unique challenges to Florida's ecosystem. While rare, the snake has become more pervasive in the Everglades.

To control the python population, the state launched the Florida Python Challenge in 2013, which allows residents to hunt the snake for cash.

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This year, more than 800 people from 33 states and Canada participated in the challenge, and hunters removed 195 Burmese pythons from the wild.

The $10,000 grand prize went to Ronald Kiger, who removed 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades during the 10-day hunt. The rest of the prize money was divided among competitors in the contest's three categories: novice, professional, and military.

Hunters contracted with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District work year-round to remove the invasive pythons from the wild. A female python can lay about 50 to 100 eggs at a time, so the competition is held during the hatching season in August. According to the wildlife agency, about 22,000 pythons have been removed from the state since 2000.

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