FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Florida's famous effort to rid the state of Burmese pythons got an unusual assist this week when scientists from Biscayne National Park spotted one of the snakes in Biscayne Bay _ more than a mile from the mainland.
The coiled snake is seen floating on top of the calm blue-green water in a Facebook video documenting the snake's capture and removal Tuesday from the bay.
"While these snakes are relatively uncommon here in Biscayne, we do remain vigilant so we can respond and remove this invasive species when we see them," biologists wrote in the posting.
The massive, 172,000-acre Biscayne National Park is made up of coral reefs, islands and shoreline mangroves off the state's southeast coast.
In the video, park biologists are seen netting the snake, getting it into their boat and then, later, measuring and weighing the reptile at 11-feet-long and 31 pounds.
The Facebook posting reminds people to keep the park beautiful "by reporting sightings of pythons and other invasive critters to park staff."
Florida has had a long-standing effort to get rid of pythons, and even pays python hunters, because of the threat the pythons pose to the state's native wildlife.
According to state figures, about 1,500 pythons were caught in 2018.
In August, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference at Holiday Park in western Broward County to announce that state resources to fight the snakes would be doubled in the coming year.
