Efforts continue in the Everglades to mitigate the invasive Burmese python population, which threatens local wildlife and ecosystems. Wildlife officials are using various strategies, including trapping and removal programs, to control the spread.

Everglades

Efforts to control the invasive Burmese python population in Florida's Everglades continue, as researchers introduce robotic rabbits to aid in detection and removal. The pythons have caused severe declines in native wildlife, with some species experiencing population drops of up to 99 percent. 

The robotic rabbits, developed by the University of Florida, mimic live prey by moving, emitting heat, and soon, releasing scent. Cameras equipped with artificial intelligence monitor the rabbits and alert teams when a python is detected, allowing for rapid response. This project aims to provide a more efficient and less resource-intensive method for locating and removing pythons from sensitive environmental areas.

Tackling the ongoing Burmese python problem in the Everglades

First here, the Florida Python Challenge wrapped up last weekend, but they are still there. There are still snakes. A lot of work needs to be done in the Everglades. These guys are hard to contend with. And what better to help out than robotic bunnies? That's right. Researchers at the University of Florida are hoping these robotic animals will help contain the python population. FOX 13's Jordan Bowen explains their research and how it works. Burmese pythons are one of the most invasive species in Florida, responsible for preying on and killing the state's native wildlife. Pythons have been decimating our native wildlife. According to researchers at Berkeley, since the 1990s, some species have declined by more than 90 percent. For example, raccoon populations have dropped by 99 percent. Possum populations experienced a 98 percent decline. And bobcats are down by 87 percent. The biggest challenge with removing the pythons is detecting where they are. So to help with that, Mike Kirkland, a lead invasive animal biologist with the South Florida Water Management District, came up with an idea. This project started with putting live rabbits in pens out in the field to see if they would attract or lure pythons to come out of their hiding places. As Kirkland explains, the project was a huge success, but took an immense amount of staff and resources working with live animals. So that's when they turned to creating their own robotic rabbits. These robotic rabbits can move. They also emit heat through a solar-powered heat pack. Soon, they will be equipped with a diffuser that will actually release the same scent of a live rabbit. Pythons pick up on certain cues. They pick up on heat signatures of their prey. They pick up on movement of their prey. And we think that they probably pick up on the smell of their prey as well. Each spot where researchers place the caged robotic rabbits will be equipped with cameras, which will use artificial intelligence to detect when a python is near. The detection system will send an alert to the team so they can quickly go out and remove the python. We're hoping that this project is going to be another tool in our toolbox where it's going to help us essentially with detection. Kirkland says by next summer, they hope they can grow the operation so they can easily place the rabbits in the most sensitive environmental areas. Reporting in Tampa, Jordan Bowen, FOX 13 News.

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