Quote Originally Posted by towelie4365 View Post
I think most burmese pythons in the everglades came from a breeding facility that was destroyed in hurricane Andrew, not from irresponsible owners.

On another note, there are TONS of other invasive species in North America: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of..._North_America . I wonder why rats, cats, dogs etc aren't banned from being transported across state lines... I think its ridiculous that they made the laws restricting owning them as pets, since the problem is already there and irreversible.

I highly doubt hunting will help much with the problem.
Problems are only irreversible when they are accepted as inevitabilities. Humans impact their environment greater than any other species. To say that the hunt is pointless is to take a cavalier attitude toward a serious issue threatening FL wildlife. I am WELL aware of the seemingly endless, and ever increasing list of invasive species throughout America but this thread isn't about other species it is about the Burm in FL. Moreover there are many invasive species in America that have fulfilled niches without the dramatically harmful effects caused by the Burms and other great constrictors (dramatic being the operative word in that statement). The RIFA (red imported fire ant) is one such example, found all across the south/southeastern U.S. Furthermore I know of hundreds of Burm owners who have released their pets when they realized they committed to an animal they could no longer care for. Hell 20 irresponsible owners is ENOUGH when considering the rate of reproduction for these Burms. The cause of ANY problem like this is ALWAYS multi-faceted, I am aware of this I just chose to mention irresponsible owners as it tends to be on the forefront of these discussions. Lastly to say that hunting would probably not help much is misguided... Think for a second of ALL the species whose populations are DEVASTATED due to over hunting, the American Alligator is a PERFECT example, it wasn't until laws went into effect to protect them that we began to see their numbers rise again. Whether they are killed, or captured and returned to their native home actions should be taken to rectify human error.

I do respect your input and certainly there are many who lie on opposite ends of the spectrum concerning this issue. It is ALWAYS a pleasure to discuss such topics with people who share an interest and love for animals! Whether we agree on this topic or not we are drawn to this thread because of our passions and I am grateful to have a chance to share my thoughts with you . I do hope you agree!

Stay Blessed!