Florida’s controversial plan to hire civilian snake hunters ended in a twist no one saw coming. State officials launched the program after invasive pythons decimated local wildlife, hoping trained amateurs could curb the crisis.
Florida has spent years trying to control its Burmese python population, and the effort has produced limited results. The snakes, introduced through the exotic pet trade, have spread across the Everglades and caused significant declines in native wildlife. In some areas, raccoon and opossum numbers have fallen by about 90 percent. Researchers have also documented pythons consuming deer whole.Hunti…