As he told the EPW committee last week that pythons are taking over the Everglades. There are over 100,000 snakes living there, apparently. That is bad.

Now he's appealing to the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, for a massive python hunt.

"Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one,” Nelson wrote in a letter today.

Full letter after the jump.

How long til PETA responds? We say an hour.

UPDATE: And PETA has responded: "Senator Bill Nelson's plan to organize a python hunt in the Everglades is senseless and cruel. It is extremely difficult to kill snakes without causing them immense suffering. If lethal measures are insisted upon, the animals should be rounded up by trained wildlife professionals and euthanized.

"These pythons didn't ask to be taken from their native homes in Southeast Asia, kept as "pets," and then turned loose when their guardians discovered that caring for them was more work than they had expected. Instead of initiating a clumsy massacre, Sen. Nelson should focus on preventing exotic animals from ending up abandoned in the first place by passing legislation to ban the importation, trade, breeding, and keeping of these and other exotic animals as "pets." Programs should also be put in place to allow citizens to drop off snakes and other exotic animals at shelters if they can no longer care for them, no questions asked.

"We owe it to these animals who have ended up in Florida through no fault of their own to deal with them in the most humane way possible."

Ken Salazar



Secretary of the Interior



Department of the Interior

1849 C Street, Northwest

Washington, D.C. 20240











Dear Secretary Salazar:







As we have discussed, we need to get a grip on pythons invading America's Everglades. Thus, I would offer two things.







First, I appreciate your input on my bill that would ban the import of Burmese pythons. Many of these dangerous snakes are making their way into the ‘Glades because they are being released by their owners. My legislation would classify pythons as an injurious animal and would prohibit their import and interstate trade.







Passage of this bill would put an end to people importing these things. And, I hope we never again would have to see what we saw in Florida three weeks ago: a toddler strangled to death by a pet python.







Second, when we visited the Everglades recently we heard a variety of ideas for capturing or killing many of the estimated 100,000-or-more pythons now roaming the ‘Glades. They are threatening endangered wildlife there - and, Lord forbid, a visitor in the Everglades ever encounters one.







One idea seems particularly promising. Some, including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, appear open to an organized hunt. This is not intended in any way to open our national parks to hunting per se. Steps must be taken to protect the Florida Panther and other wildlife.







Instead, the U.S. Park Service, under your direction, would allow for a supervised hunt of pythons by park staff, authorized deputies or agents and volunteers. Given the serious threat from these snakes, I ask that you approve of taking this step.







Sincerely,











Bill Nelson

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