PYTHON HUNT ON! 800 VIE TO REMOVE INVASIVE SNAKES

More than 800 competitors will be trudging through the Florida Everglades for the next eight days, in search of invasive Burmese pythons that will bring in thousands of dollars in prize money. The python hunt officially began Friday morning and runs through 5 p.m. on Aug. 15, according to officials who gathered in Miami to kick off the annual event. Since 2000, more than 17,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades ecosystem, according to a release. Burmese pythons, which are not native to Florida, prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. Cash prizes of up to $2,500 are available, officials said. Each python must be dead, with hunters facing disqualification if they kill them inhumanely or kill a native snake.