How robot rabbits are tackling invasive pythons

WorldTechnology
7 Aug 2025 • 1:53 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

image is not available

  • 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.

IN FULL