Florida Launches Mass Python Hunt

Where's Samuel Jackson when you need him? Florida is battling a serious snake problem. The Guardian reports that up to 100,000 pythons may be loose and breeding in Florida, the result of a fad for exotic pets. The booming snake population may come from pet owners who release their pythons when the snakes, which can grow up to 26-feet long and weigh up to 196 lbs., become too large. The recent death of a 2-year-old by her family's escaped pet python galvanized the new plan: Florida's governor has licensed a small group of fewer than 10 trappers to hunt and kill the non-native snakes, and will issue more licenses if the plan is successful.