Florida Hires Two Indian Snake Catchers to Catch Burmese Phython in the State

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is seeking the help of two Indian Snake catchers to catch Burmese Phython in the state. This snake has rapidly increased its population in Florida, and according to some estimates, there might be around 5,000 to 10,000 Burmese Pythons in Florida.

Florida is the southernmost city of US, and has become the home for the Burmese Python. Burmese Python is the world’s third largest snake by length/weight and is naturally found in South East Asia. It was first seen in the 1980’s in the Everglades National Park in Florida, but earned the “Reproducing Population” tag in year 2000 as state authorities failed to control its number. These snakes are also killing native animals such as Rabbits, Deer, and Alligators in Florida.

Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal are two snake catchers who belong to the Tamil Irula Community in India. The main occupation of this community is to catch snakes and rats. The Commission has also appointed two translators to help snake catchers in their work. Masi and Vadivel work with two University of Florida Biologists, and two python detecting Labradors, to find, catch and kill the pythons. In the past two weeks, the team has captured 13 snakes near Key Largo area.

“The job of the tribesmen is to find the snakes, catch them, and teach us how to do it better,” Frank Mazzotti, a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida, told UF News.

“They are better at finding snakes than anybody else in the world.”

So far, $68,000 have been spent by the Commission on two snake catcher, their interpreters and their journey to Florida.

“Since the Irula have been so successful in their homeland at removing pythons, we are hoping they can teach people in Florida some of these skills,” Kristen Sommers, chief of FWC’s Wildlife Impact Management Section, said in a statement.