US: People hope to kill massive serpents in Florida’s Burmese pythons killing contest

Thousands of people from all over the United States and around the world have kept their hopes high on killing many massive serpents in Florida’s public contest to kill Burmese pythons.

Speaking about participating in the bizarre contest, 22-year-old native of Naples Jake Waleri said that his major plan is to hunt snakes during his summer break from the University of Ohio.

Waleri said that he has knowledge about the Burmese pythons, which is an invasive species that took over the Everglades and wreaked havoc on Florida's natural habitat.

He developed an interest in python hunting after he watched professional hunters on television, and began hunting the snakes himself two years ago. Last year, he participated in the state’s annual python hunting contest called “Florida Python Challenge”, however, he dropped out in between because he was lagging behind in the rankings.

"This year I want to win it," he said while speaking to BBB.

The Florida Python Challenge attracts hundreds of participants every year from Canada, Belgium and Latvia, who have been charmed by the prospect of fame and fortune, which includes around $30,000 (£23,600) in prize money.

Catching snakes with bare hands

Recent Python Challenge winners included a father-and-son duo who were able to rapidly despatch 41 snakes, a deaf science teacher who caught a 16ft snake with his bare hands and a 19-year-old who claimed that he will use his $10,000 prize for purchasing snake-spotting lights for his truck.

Waleri and his cousin, who is known as the Glade Boys, have been planning to hunt snakes every night once the contest starts on August 4. He said that they will keep energy drinks for the 10-day marathon contest, along with "a lot of bug spray - that's important".

He will also carry chest-high waders in case he requires to enter into the water, a roll of tape for sealing the mouth of the python before the kill as well as a snake stick for moving native venomous snakes from the road so that the cars do not hit them.

"If you're not comfortable with snakes, you're going to feel very, very out of place when you're trying to go grab that head. When you hesitate - then you got your hand right in front of that snake's head and it's gonna bite you,” he said.

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According to local conservationists, the contest is important for curbing the scourge that the Burmese python has wrought on the Everglades of Florida.

The Everglades has the largest subtropical wilderness area in the entire country as well as the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.

Florida’s southern tip has been described by UNESCO as "a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea", which supports a high variety of flora and fauna.

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