Episode Details

That project is shared by the wildlife agency and the South Florida Water Management District. Through 2023, more than 18,000 pythons have been removed from the wild. Contractors like Aycock have removed about 11,000.

该项目由野生动物机构和南佛罗里达州水管理区共享。到 2023 年，已有超过 18,000 条蟒蛇被从野外清除。像艾科克这样的承包商已经拆除了大约 11,000 人。

The pay is average. Hunting along backroads pays $13 an hour. Walking through the swamp pays $18 an hour. Contractors also get paid per snake: $50 for the first 1.2 meters in length, plus more for longer snakes. 

工资是平均水平。沿着小路打猎每小时 13 美元。步行穿过沼泽每小时 18 美元。承包商还可以按每条蛇获得报酬：前 1.2 米长的蛇为 50 美元，更长的蛇则需支付更多费用。 

“You’re not going to make a living doing this full-time. There’s no way you could do it,” Aycock said. 

“你不会全职做这个谋生。你不可能做到这一点，”艾科克说。 

Florida does not permit hunters to use firearms to kill pythons. Catching them is a hands-on exercise. 

佛罗里达州不允许猎人使用枪支杀死蟒蛇。抓住它们是一项动手练习。

Aycock goes into the wetlands to check on known hatching spots and grabs at them when he can. But mostly he drives down empty roads at night, shining a strong light into the swamps. 

艾科克进入湿地检查已知的孵化点，并在可能的情况下抓住它们。但大多数时候，他都是在夜间开车行驶在空荡荡的道路上，将强光照射到沼泽地里。 

He says these bug-filled drives help his mental health. Sometimes he brings along fellow members of the Swamp Apes, a mental health non-profit organization for veterans. The group catches invasive snakes in the wild, clears overgrown areas, and works toward environmental preservation. 

他说这些充满错误的驱动器有助于他的心理健康。有时，他会带来沼泽猿人组织的成员，这是一个针对退伍军人的心理健康非营利组织。该组织在野外捕捉入侵蛇，清理杂草丛生的地区，并致力于环境保护。 

The group’s founder, Tom R