Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is making it easier for people to help remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials announced Monday new incentives to report and remove the giant constrictors blamed for decimating populations of native animals.
Under the Python Pickup Program , anyone submitting the location and a photograph of a python removal on certain state-managed lands will receive a T-shirt and be entered into monthly prize drawings. The program also extends to private lands, with landowners' approval.
An executive order now allows people to remove pythons year-round from 22 public lands without a hunting license or wildlife management area permit. The state also is paying more contractors to remove pythons from specific areas.
Python Patrol Training is available to teach people how to identify and remove pythons.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
