The state of Florida's python-catching challenge made its goal. However, the state is not gauging success by how many pythons were killed, but rather how much publicity was generated by the event.
Python population estimates range up to 100,000 snakes .Curtis Morgan writes about the environment for the Miami Herald and he's been following the progress of the python hunt. He says the event underlined how hard it is to find burmese pythons in the Everglades wilderness.
"And that's sort of the challenge for eradicating pythons. And I think most of the scientists now are saying the don't really have a hope for eradicating these snakes but if they can control them, hunts like this, cold snaps, limit their spread, limit their numbers that that will be about the best they can do and maybe reduce some of the impacts they're having on native wildlife", said Morgan.
At last count, 50 pythons had been bagged. That ranks among the largest captures recorded in a single month. The last time that many pythons were hauled out of the Everglades was during the cold snap in 2010.
The final number for this python hunting season will be released at a ceremony at Zoo Miami this Saturday.
The state has not yet decided whether the Python Challenge will become an annual event.