Imagine this: a little robotic rabbit, complete with fur, a heating core, and even a “sniff test” built in — all lying in wait to bait a 15-foot Burmese python. Welcome to Florida’s python hunt, Version 2.0.
On Monday, September 29, The Palm Beach Post updated its August coverage of Florida’s python-luring pilot, which kicked off with Version 1 in early July, shining renewed light on the evolving experiment in South Florida’s ongoing war against invasive Burmese pythons. "Version 2.0 of the study will add bunny scent to the stuffed rabbits if motion and heat aren’t enough to fool the snakes," the outlet wrote.
Burmese pythons aren’t native to Florida — they’re an invasive species that’s been disrupting the Everglades ecosystem for decades. The snakes, which can grow over 18 feet long and weigh more than 200 pounds, were first introduced through the exotic pet trade and became established in the wild by the 1980s, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Park Service. Many are believed to have escaped or been released after hurricanes and private-collection losses in the early ’90s.
Today, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates there are now tens of thousands of Burmese pythons spread across more than a thousand square miles of South Florida, including Everglades National Park. Their size, stealth, and speed have devastated native wildlife. A landmark PNAS study by researchers from Davidson College and the U.S. Geological Survey found that sightings of small mammals — raccoons, opossums, rabbits — dropped by as much as 99% in python-heavy areas.
“Invasive pythons are one of the most destructive and harmful species in America’s Everglades,” the South Florida Water Management District said in a statement. “Their aggressive predation on native wildlife robs panthers, raptors, bobcats, and other native predators of their primary food sources.”
To fight back, Florida scientists keep testing new detection tools. But traditional hunts, traps, and infrared surveys have limits when the snakes blend seamlessly into sawgrass and swamp water. As Mike Kirkland, the South Florida Water Management District’s lead invasive animal biologist, told WKMG News 6, “For the python issue, detection is our biggest challenge.”
That’s where the robo-rabbits come in. Designed to mimic real prey, these solar-powered decoys are retrofitted from toy rabbit bodies. They generate body heat, emit scent (or will more aggressively in v2), and even twitch slightly — inside small, camera-monitored enclosures. When a python slithers close enough, the system triggers alerts for removal teams to move in.
The pilot was publicly announced mid-2025 via a SFWMD “Did You Know?” explainer, kicking off a deployment of approximately 120 units estimated at $4,000 each. (Earlier AP and CBS reporting confirmed the scale, funding, and basic design features.) Since then, state officials told AP News the early results look promising, though the program remains in testing.
“Every invasive python that is removed makes a difference for Florida's environment and its native wildlife,” Ron Bergeron, a member of the water district governing board, told WUSF last month.