When a district in Florida's Everglades used robot rabbits to eliminate Burmese pythons

Florida held its annual Python Challenge just a few weeks ago. The 10-day competition brings together professional and amateur hunters to track and remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, with cash prizes awarded for capturing the most snakes and the longest python. While the event remains one of the state's biggest efforts to control the invasive species, officials are increasingly turning to technology to find snakes that often remain hidden, and the state continues to battle its growing population of Burmese pythons.Last year, the South Florida Water Management District turned to an unusual technology after the annual Florida Python Challenge: solar-powered robot rabbits. Explaining the initiative, the district said in 2025, "Scientists from the South Florida Water Management District (District) and the University of Florida have teamed up to use robotic rabbit decoys as part of our continuing efforts to combat and remove invasive pythons."