Overview

• South Florida Water Management District and University of Florida researchers placed about 120 animatronic rabbit decoys across South Florida this summer to help locate elusive Burmese pythons.
• The retrofitted toys emit heat, scent, and lifelike movement, run on solar power, and use cameras to signal when a snake approaches so removal teams can be dispatched.
• Each unit costs roughly $4,000, funded by the water district, as officials seek a scalable alternative to labor-intensive live-rabbit lures.
• Leaders emphasize detection remains the main barrier to control, describing the project as nascent with data still being gathered before judging its impact.
• The tactic joins ongoing efforts such as contractor removals and the annual Python Challenge, as officials cite steep wildlife declines and population estimates ranging from tens of thousands to as high as 300,000 snakes.