Remote-controlled robot rabbits are being used to help solve Florida’s python problem
How robot rabbits are tackling invasive pythons
- Remote-controlled robot rabbits are being deployed in Florida to help tackle the invasive Burmese python problem in the Everglades.
- These solar-powered robots mimic marsh rabbits, designed to emit a heat signature and smell to lure pythons out of hiding.
- Equipped with cameras, the robots monitor for pythons and notify officials, allowing snake wranglers to be dispatched for removal and euthanasia.
- The initiative is a collaboration between scientists from the South Florida Water Management District and the University of Florida.
- Burmese pythons, introduced to the Everglades in the 1970s through the pet trade, threaten the ecosystem by preying on native wildlife.