"In a recent post on Instagram, the South Florida Water Management District explained why it was now working with small, cuddly robots. "These solar-powered decoys may look cute, but they're packing serious tech, emitting heat and scents that lure pythons in the Everglades," the agency explained. "Cameras inside the bots detect snake activity and alert District staff so the invasive predator can be safely captured.""
"The robot rabbit program represents a collaboration between the SFWMD and the University of Florida. As The Guardian explained in a 2024 article, Burmese pythons have become a signficant threat to wildlife in Florida. Why? Well, for starters there's the size of the snakes in question: they can grow up to 20 feet and can eat almost anything smaller than they are, including deer. The article notes that in the Everglades, they've become the apex predator - and that's a problem for the ecosystem there."
Solar-powered robot rabbits emit heat and scents to lure Burmese pythons and contain cameras that detect snake activity and alert staff for safe capture. The program is a collaboration between the South Florida Water Management District and the University of Florida. This summer the effort used 120 robot rabbits after earlier trials used live bunnies. Burmese pythons can grow up to 20 feet, eat deer and smaller animals, and have become apex predators in the Everglades, threatening ecosystem balance. Other efforts include the Florida Python Challenge, which removed 294 pythons this year and 1,400 across events.
Read at InsideHook
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