US snake hunters fight pythons big enough to devour gators

In the decade since Florida launched its first public contest to kill Burmese pythons, thousands of people from all over the US and around the world have staked their hopes on killing as many of the massive serpents as they can.

Jake Waleri, 22, has one major plan for his summer break from the University of Ohio: hunt snakes, reports BBC.

The native of Naples, Florida, says he's always known about the issue of Burmese pythons, an invasive species that has taken over the Everglades, and the havoc they wreak on Florida's natural habitat.

He became interested in python hunting after watching professional hunters on television, and started hunting them himself two years ago. Last year, he entered the Florida Python Challenge - the state's annual python hunting contest - but dropped out because he was too far behind in the rankings.

"This year I want to win it," he says.

The Florida Python Challenge draws in hundreds of participants each year from as far away as Canada, Belgium and Latvia who are charmed by the prospect of fame and fortune, including up to $30,000 (£23,600) in prize money.

Recent Python Challenge winners include a deaf science teacher who bagged a nearly 16ft snake with his bare hands, a father-and-son duo who rapidly despatched 41 snakes and a 19-year-old who said he would use his $10,000 prize to buy better snake-spotting lights for his truck.

Waleri and his cousin - who call themselves the Glade Boys - plan to hunt snakes every night once the contest begins on 4 August. He says they'll pack energy drinks for the 10-day marathon contest, and "a lot of bug spray - that's important".

He also will carry chest-high waders in case he needs to get into water, a roll of tape to seal the python's mouth before the kill, and a snake stick to move native venomous snakes off the road so they don't get hit by cars.

/MHK/