TAMPA, Fla. -- They're invasive. They're deadly to fellow animals. And they are wreaking havoc on the Everglades' ecosystem.

They are Burmese pythons.

And it's almost that time of year where pro hunters and neophytes go deep into the Everglades to root out as many snakes as possible and earn some prizes while they're at it.

Last year's "Python Challenge" involved more than 600 people from 25 states and among the hundreds of snakes bagged included a 15 footer.

On this episode of To The Point Already, Bay News 9 anchors Rick Elmhorst and Roy De Jesus break down the origin of the python challenge with McKayla Spencer with the FWC and find out what it takes to catch the problematic snakes from python hunter Kevin Reich.

Burmese pythons have no natural enemies in the Everglades and have decimated native populations of mammals, birds and other reptiles.

The hunt begins Aug. 5 at 8 a.m. and ends Aug. 14 at 5 p.m.

Prizes range from $2,500 to $750 based on number of snakes caught and length. Last year, the first-prize winner captured 223 pythons, while the longest snake caught was a little more than 15 feet long.

People must register to participate and complete an online training course for the event and the snakes must be killed humanely.

But it's not just a matter of showing up and grabbing one.

"Less than one percent of pythons are detected," Spencer said. "It (sometimes) takes over nine hours even for a professional to find a python. That's the average time.

"It's a lot of work and they can be difficult to find. That makes it really difficult to measure their population."

But all indications are that there are plenty of them out there.

Native to Asia, the pythons are believed to have been introduced to Florida as pets that got loose, accidentally and intentionally, starting as far back as the 1970s. FWC officials said the snakes were first gaining notice in the Everglades in the 1990s.

Fast forward to now, as the state of Florida sponsors the challenge to try to slow the spread of the invasive snakes.

Reich, a native Floridian who came across his first python while fishing in the Everglades, is now a top python hunter and enjoys the challenge.

"For me, it's something I enjoy" Reich said. "I got hooked. It's an adrenaline rush, especially if you get one of those ones that is 14, 15 or 16 feet."

But keep in mind, he added about the serious nature of the hunt: "It's still an issue to have an animal not native to Florida that can basically consume an American alligator."

ABOUT THE SHOW

Spectrum Bay News 9 anchor Rick Elmhorst sits down with the people that represent you, the people fighting for change and the people with fascinating stories to ask the hard questions.

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