First-ever photos of bobcat eating invasive python eggs show 'Everglades fighting back'
A bobcat was observed raiding a Burmese python nest in South Florida. Seeing such resistance by a native animal is good news, scientists say.
In the past few decades, the number of invasive Burmese pythons has exploded in South Florida, especially in the Everglades. Because they are very difficult to find and track, however, many details of their behavior and ecological impact remain sketchy, such as how native species respond to their presence.
A new photo montage from a wildlife camera in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve provides visual evidence of the Everglades “fighting back.” The images, captured in June 2021, show a bobcat raiding a python’s nest—the first observation of any Floridian animal preying upon the invasive snake’s eggs.
After happening upon an unguarded nest, the photos show, the curious bobcat sniffs about, scarfing a few eggs and trampling dozens more.
