Latest news with #EvergladesNationalPark
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Python Huntress' quits day job to fight back as snakes try to take over vast US area: 'The most effective tool that we have'
When Amy Siewe caught her first nine-foot python in Florida's Everglades, it wasn't just a thrill — it was a calling, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. Within two months, the former real estate agent sold her business in Indiana and moved south to hunt snakes full time. Today, with more than 600 pythons removed, Siewe is known as the "Python Huntress." Her mission is to help protect one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the United States. The Burmese python, native to Southeast Asia, has wreaked havoc on Florida's native species ever since a breeding facility was destroyed during Hurricane Andrew in 1992. With no natural predators in the Everglades, the snake population has ballooned — estimates now put it at more than 500,000. These snakes can grow up to 18 feet long and are known to consume birds, mammals, and even alligators. In a region that's home to endangered species like the Florida panther and the largest continuous mangrove ecosystem in the Western hemisphere, the impact has been dramatic. Studies have shown declines in raccoons, opossums, bobcats, and rabbits. "To date, [this one's] probably eaten about 200 of our native animals," Siewe said during a recent capture of a 10-foot snake. Invasive species — whether snakes, plants, or insects — throw ecosystems out of balance. While the Everglades' problem is on a grand scale, even invasive plants in backyards can crowd out native species. Plus, they're a headache to get rid of, costing time and money. Luckily, rewilding your yard with native plants, clover, buffalo grass, or using eco-friendly landscaping techniques like xeriscaping can slash your water bill and yard work. Plus, it makes your yard a friendly place for pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential to protecting our food supply. Even partially upgrading to a natural lawn can offer financial and environmental benefits. Hunting is one of Florida's most effective strategies to deal with invasive pythons. Florida even hosts an annual "Python Challenge" to encourage hunting. The snakes are often skinned, tanned, and repurposed into goods like purses and belts. It can take up to 12 hours to find one, so the work is time-consuming. Another potential solution could be found at the dinner table — a Southeast Asian study found that pythons turn feed into protein more efficiently than traditional livestock. "We're always going to have pythons in Florida," Siewe said, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. "What we're trying to do is figure out how to decrease their numbers. Hunting right now is the most effective tool that we have." Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump's ‘Alligator Alcatraz' set to receive its first group of immigrants
Florida officials have opened a new detention center in the Everglades, named Alligator Alcatraz, with the first group of immigrants scheduled to arrive. The facility, built rapidly, is designed to hold approximately 3,000 detainees and is equipped with extensive security features like barbed wire and numerous cameras. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated the center aims to process criminal illegal aliens for deportation, emphasizing its role as a deterrent. Environmental groups and Native American tribes are protesting the center, raising concerns about its impact on the fragile Everglades ecosystem, potential harsh conditions for detainees, and its location on sacred land. State officials, including Governor Ron DeSantis, intend the center's remote location and its name, referencing the notorious Alcatraz prison, to send a strong message, aligning with the Trump administration's use of scare tactics.
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
First group of immigrants set to arrive at "Alligator Alcatraz" detention center in Everglades
The first group of immigrants were scheduled to arrive Wednesday night at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," the state's attorney general said. "Alligator Alcatraz will be checking in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens tonight," Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier said on the X social media platform. "Next stop: back to where they came from." The facility, at an airport used for training, will have a capacity of about 3,000 detainees when fully operational, according to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days over 10 miles of Everglades. It features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet of barbed wire and 400 security personnel. Environmental groups and Native American tribes have protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred. DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent, and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz, an island fortress known for its brutal conditions, is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and "guarded" by alligators wearing hats labeled "ICE" for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention center is set to receive its first group of immigrants
The first group of immigrants were scheduled to arrive Wednesday night at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades that officials have dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' the state's attorney general said. 'Alligator Alcatraz will be checking in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens tonight," Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier said on the X social media platform. "Next stop: back to where they came from.' The facility, at an airport used for training, will have a capacity of about 3,000 detainees when fully operational, according to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said. The center was built in eight days over 10 miles (16 kilometers) of Everglades. It features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire and 400 security personnel. Environmental groups and Native American tribes have protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred. DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent, and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz, an island fortress known for its brutal conditions, is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and 'guarded' by alligators wearing hats labeled 'ICE' for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name. _____ Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Florida.
Al Arabiya
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' Detention Center Is Set to Receive Its First Group of Immigrants
The first group of immigrants was scheduled to arrive Wednesday night at a new detention center deep in the Florida Everglades, which officials have dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' the state's attorney general said. 'Alligator Alcatraz will be checking in hundreds of criminal illegal aliens tonight,' Florida Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier said on the X social media platform. 'Next stop: back to where they came from.' The facility at an airport used for training will have a capacity of about 3,000 detainees when fully operational, according to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The center was built in eight days over 10 miles (16 kilometers) of Everglades. It features more than 200 security cameras, 28,000-plus feet (8,500 meters) of barbed wire, and 400 security personnel. Environmental groups and Native American tribes have protested against the center, contending it is a threat to the fragile Everglades system, would be cruel to detainees because of heat and mosquitoes, and is on land the tribes consider sacred. DeSantis and other state officials say locating the facility in the rugged and remote Florida Everglades is meant as a deterrent, and naming it after the notorious federal prison of Alcatraz–an island fortress known for its brutal conditions–is meant to send a message. It's another sign of how the Trump administration and its allies are relying on scare tactics to try to persuade people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. State and federal officials have touted the plans on social media and conservative airwaves, sharing a meme of a compound ringed with barbed wire and guarded by alligators wearing hats labeled 'ICE' for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Republican Party of Florida has taken to fundraising off the detention center, selling branded T-shirts and beer koozies emblazoned with the facility's name.
