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Florida wildlife officials and researchers are turning to an unusual high-tech weapon in the fight against invasive Burmese pythons: robot rabbits. The solar-powered, rabbit-shaped devices are being tested in the Everglades to help locate the giant snakes that have devastated populations of native wildlife.

The South Florida Water Management District is using the robotic rabbits as part of broader efforts to monitor and control the Burmese python population. The district is working with researchers who hope the mechanical decoys can exploit one of the python's most basic instincts — its appetite for rabbits.

Robot Rabbits Designed to Attract Pythons

The robotic bunnies are designed to resemble real rabbits, including movements, heat, and potentially scent. An artificial intelligence-powered camera can detect activity around the device and alert officials when a python is spotted.

Once a snake is detected, wildlife personnel can be dispatched to the location to remove it.

The technology is particularly suited to the Everglades because marsh rabbits are among the natural prey of Burmese pythons. Researchers believe a realistic robotic rabbit could provide a way to draw pythons into areas where they can be located more easily.

The devices were developed as a potential complement to existing python-tracking techniques. Instead of relying exclusively on live animals or conventional searches, researchers can remotely deploy the robotic decoys and monitor what happens.

University of Florida Leads Research

Researchers at the University of Florida have been conducting experiments with the robotic rabbits, which are essentially stuffed rabbit decoys equipped with electrical components that allow them to be remotely controlled.

The robots also contain small cameras and sensors capable of detecting movement. When activity is detected, researchers can examine the video feed and determine whether a python has approached the decoy.

Last year, University of Florida wildlife ecologist Robert McCleery and his team launched a pilot study involving 40 robotic rabbits spread across a large area, according to reporting by the Palm Beach Post.

The research is being funded by the South Florida Water Management District.

“Our partners have allowed us to trial these things that may sound a little crazy,” McCleery told the Palm Beach Post. “Working in the Everglades for ten years, you get tired of documenting the problem. You want to address it.”

Researchers say the pilot project is still experimental. Future versions of the robots could potentially incorporate rabbit scents or other characteristics that might make them more convincing to hunting pythons.

Robot Rabbits Eliminating Burmese Pythons in the Everglades

Burmese pythons are not native to the United States. The snakes were first documented in Florida during the 1990s, and their population subsequently expanded throughout parts of South Florida.

The exact number of Burmese pythons living in the Everglades remains unknown, but their impact on native wildlife has been well documented.

The snakes can grow to approximately 18 feet long and are capable of consuming surprisingly large prey. Burmese pythons have been documented eating mammals and other animals that are important parts of the Everglades ecosystem.

A 2012 U.S. Geological Survey study found severe declines in several native mammal populations in areas where Burmese pythons had become established. Researchers found that raccoon, opossum, and rabbit populations had suffered particularly dramatic losses.

Marsh rabbits have also become an important focus of python research.

Ian Bartoszek, a wildlife biologist and python tracker with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, described research in which GPS-collared marsh rabbits were released into the Everglades. According to Bartoszek, researchers later found that 77% of the rabbits had been consumed by Burmese pythons within six months.

The findings demonstrated how heavily the invasive snakes can prey on native mammals.

Python Removal Efforts Continue

Florida has used a variety of strategies to combat Burmese pythons, including organized hunts and specialized tracking programs.

More than 19,000 pythons have been removed from the Everglades since 2000, according to reports citing wildlife officials. The annual Florida Python Challenge has also attracted hundreds of participants who compete to remove the invasive snakes.

In one recent competition, the winning participant removed 20 pythons and received a $10,000 grand prize.

Florida's wildlife agency allows Burmese pythons to be humanely killed year-round under state regulations, subject to applicable animal-cruelty requirements.

Researchers caution, however, that completely eradicating Burmese pythons from South Florida is unlikely. Instead, wildlife managers are focused on reducing their numbers and limiting the damage they cause to native species.

Robot Rabbits Modeled After Marsh Rabbits

The robotic rabbits represent another potential tool in that effort. If the technology proves effective, the unusual-looking devices could eventually give researchers a new way to find pythons that might otherwise remain hidden in the dense Everglades landscape.

For now, the furry machines remain part of an ongoing experiment. But in a state where invasive pythons have become one of the most persistent threats to native wildlife, researchers are willing to try some unconventional ideas.

Additional Information

• Video: Robot Rabbits
• South Florida Water Management District — Burmese Python Program
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Burmese Python
• U.S. Geological Survey — Burmese Python Research
• University of Florida
• Conservancy of Southwest Florida
• Florida Python Challenge