HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The 1,000th Burmese python was captured and killed over the weekend during the South Florida Water Management Governing Board's Python Elimination Program.
District officials said the milestone snake was captured this past weekend by python hunter Brian Hargrove.
The python was weighed Tuesday morning at the SFWMD's Homestead Field Station, measuring 11 feet, 2 inches long. It weighed 32 pounds.
Hargrove told reporters at the weigh-in that he is an animal lover, so capturing the pythons has been bittersweet for him.
"It's exciting to find it, but the end result is sad -- but it has to be done," Hargrove said.
Hargrove said he has captured roughly 120 snakes so far.
The Python Elimination Program began last year in an effort to protect countless native species from being killed off by the invasive predator.
As part of the program, the professional python hunters are paid $8.10 per hour for up to eight hours a day.
Participants are paid an additional $50 for pythons measuring up to 4 feet and an extra $25 for each foot above 4 feet.
The hunters will be paid an additional $100 for each eliminated python nest with eggs.
