It was the winter of 2003. A group of people was exploring Everglades National Park. The park is in Florida. It’s made up of 2,400 square miles of wetlands. The people took in the wonders all around them. Frogs hopped. Insects buzzed. Rivers of golden grass stretched out for miles.

    The group had high hopes. They might see a rare bird. They might see a Florida panther. 

    They soon saw something scarier. 

    Near the park’s main entrance, an alligator was fighting with a huge snake. The alligator had its jaws around the snake. The snake’s body was wrapped around the alligator. The two fought like monsters in a horror film. 

    Some of the people took a video. Soon it was played on TV stations. It was posted on websites too. 

    To most people, this fight was just a good show. But to many wildlife experts, it was the sign of a problem. A big, slithery problem.

    In the winter of 2003, a group of families was exploring Florida’s Everglades National Park. This beautiful, wild area is made up of 2,400 square miles of wetlands. The visitors admired the wonders all around them. Frogs hopped, insects buzzed, and rivers of golden grass stretched out for miles. 

    The group had high hopes for the day. Maybe they’d see a rare bird. Perhaps they’d even spot a Florida panther. 

    But the visitors were about to see something more unusual—and terrifying. 

    Not far from the park’s main entrance, an enormous alligator was wrestling with a massive snake. The alligator had its jaws around the snake, and the snake’s body was wrapped around the alligator. The immense animals fought like monsters in a horror film. 

    Some of the visitors captured the scene on camera, and their video was soon playing on television stations. It was also posted on websites around the world.  

    To most viewers, this fight was little more than a thrilling and shocking spectacle. But to many wildlife experts, it was evidence of a problem—a big, slithery problem.

    The snake fighting the alligator was a Burmese (buhr-MEEZ) python. This species of snake is not from the United States. It comes from southern Asia. 

    For years, park workers had noticed Burmese pythons living in the Everglades. This surprised them. How did animals from Asia get to Florida?

    The first Burmese pythons arrived in the U.S. as pets. Some Americans like to own strange pets. They put tigers in backyard cages. They let monkeys climb around their homes. Many people say this is wrong. Still, millions of Americans own exotic pets. (Those are animals that are wild or don’t normally live in the U.S.) 

    Burmese pythons became popular pets in the 1990s. They didn’t cost much. They don’t usually hurt humans. As babies, they’re cute. 

    But then they grow. And grow. And grow. An adult Burmese python can be nearly 20 feet long. (That’s almost LeBron James times three!) Many people who bought these pets were sorry they had. 

    And then what? Who would want to adopt a 17-foot snake that eats live bunnies? Many people ended up setting their snakes loose in the wild.

    The snake fighting the alligator was a Burmese (buhr-MEEZ) python. This species of snake isn’t native to the United States. It comes from southern Asia. 

    For years, park workers had noticed Burmese pythons living in the Everglades, and that was surprising. How had animals from halfway around the world gotten to Florida?

    The first Burmese pythons arrived in the U.S. as pets. There have always been some Americans who enjoy keeping strange and even dangerous creatures. They put tigers in backyard cages, and they let monkeys climb around their homes. Many other people would say that this is unwise, even cruel. Still, millions of Americans own exotic pets. (Those are animals that are wild or don’t normally live in the U.S.)  

    Burmese pythons became popular pets in the 1990s. They were inexpensive (about $20 a snake), they’re usually not violent toward humans, and they’re awfully cute as babies. 

    But then they grow. And grow. And grow and grow and grow. An adult Burmese python can be nearly 20 feet long. (That’s almost LeBron James times three!) Many people who bought these pets quickly came to regret their decision. 

    And then what? It’s pretty difficult to find someone willing to adopt a 17-foot snake that eats live bunnies, so quite a few python owners ended up setting their snakes loose in the wild. 

    Officials first recorded pythons in the Everglades in the 1990s. People wondered: Had just a few discarded pets made their way there? Or had the snakes reached the park in other ways? 

    Some people blamed Hurricane Andrew. It hit Florida in 1992. The storm killed 65 people. It destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. And it wrecked a warehouse full of exotic reptiles. The warehouse held hundreds of baby Burmese pythons. Most of those babies died in the storm. But a few could have been carried off by the winds. Did some of them make it to the park?  

    It doesn’t matter how the snakes got to the Everglades. What matters is that they’re out of control. 

    Experts say there could be as many as 300,000 pythons in the park.

    When officials first recorded pythons in the Everglades in the mid-1990s, people wondered: Had just a few discarded pets made their way there, or had the snakes reached the park in other ways? 

    Some people blamed Hurricane Andrew, which struck Florida in 1992. The storm killed 65 people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. It also wrecked a warehouse full of exotic reptiles —including hundreds of baby Burmese pythons. Most of those babies died in the storm, but a few of the tiny snakes could have been carried away by the winds. Did some of the babies make it to the park?  

    At this point, it no longer matters how the snakes got to the Everglades. What’s important is that they’re out of control. 

    According to experts, there could be as many as 300,000 pythons in the park.

    Park workers worry about what these snakes are doing to the Everglades’ ecosystem. In Florida, the Burmese python is an invasive species. That’s a plant or an animal that moves into a new place, takes over, and damages the plants and animals already living there. Thousands of invasive species live in the U.S. 

    In the Everglades, Burmese pythons are causing problems. They breed quickly. And they eat a lot—reptiles, bird eggs, mammals. As the number of pythons grows, other animals could disappear. Experts say the pythons could wipe out small animals like rabbits     and raccoons. 

    And what eats pythons? Rodents and bobcats eat python eggs. But few, if any, animals eat full-grown pythons.

    They’re the kings and queens of the Everglades.

    Park workers are concerned about how these snakes are affecting the Everglades’ ecosystem. In Florida, the Burmese python is an invasive species: a type of plant or animal that moves into a new place, takes over, and damages the plants and animals already living there. Thousands of invasive species live in the U.S. 

    In the Everglades, Burmese pythons are causing problems. They breed quickly. And they eat a lot—reptiles, bird eggs, mammals. As the number of pythons grows, other animals could disappear. Experts are worried the pythons could wipe out small animals like rabbits and raccoons. 

    And what eats pythons? Rodents and bobcats eat python eggs. But full-grown pythons have few, if any, natural predators.

    They’re the kings and queens of the Everglades.

    It is now against the law to bring Burmese pythons to the U.S. to sell. This will help prevent new pet snakes from being left in the wild. But what can be done about the pythons that are already here? 

    People are coming up with smart ways to solve the python problem. Scientists are working to track and trap the snakes. Wildlife experts are asking anyone who sees a python to report it on a special website. And Florida leaders hold a yearly Python Challenge. In it, hunters compete to catch Burmese pythons—and win cash prizes. 

    As one park ranger puts it, “We are at war.” Right now, the battle looks like that wrestling match between the alligator and the python. The struggle will go on for a long time. And so far, nobody can say who will win.

    It’s now against the law to bring Burmese pythons to the U.S. to sell. This will help keep new snakes from being left in the wild. But what about the pythons that are here now? 

    People are trying to solve the python problem. Scientists are working to track and trap the snakes. Wildlife experts are asking anyone who sees a python to report it on a special website. And Florida leaders hold a yearly Python Challenge. In it, hunters compete to catch Burmese pythons—and win cash prizes. 

    As one park ranger puts it, “We are at war.” Right now, the battle looks like that fight between the alligator and the python. It will go on for a long time. And so far, no one knows who will win. 

    It’s now illegal to bring Burmese pythons to the U.S. to sell. This will help prevent new pet snakes from being released into the wild—but what can be done about the country’s existing python population? 

    People are coming up with inventive ways to solve the python problem. Scientists are working to track and trap the snakes. Wildlife experts are asking anyone who sees a python to report it on a special website. And Florida leaders hold an annual Python Challenge, in which hunters compete to catch Burmese pythons—and win cash prizes.  

    As one park ranger puts it, “We are at war.” Right now, the battle looks like that wrestling match between the alligator and the python. The struggle will go on for a long time—and so far, it’s impossible to know who will win. 

_{Text copyright ©Lauren Tarshis}

_{Text copyright ©Lauren Tarshis}

_{Text copyright ©Lauren Tarshis}