Thermal-Tracking Drones Being Utilized to Help Python Hunters Find Snakes in the Everglades

Hunting Burmese pythons in the Everglades just got a lot more hi-tech, as hunters are now using thermal-tracking drones to pinpoint snakes in the grass from high in the sky.

According to Miami New Times, experienced snake hunter Bill Booth and thermographer Bart Bruni teamed up with VolAero, a Miami-based drone-tech startup, to help hunt for the invasive creatures by use of thermal-tracking drones.

“Using a thermal drone is like having x-ray vision,” says Booth, a 52-year-old from Bradenton who took first-place in the state’s python challenge last year after tracking and killing a 15-foot, 125-pound snake. “Even if a snake is 16 inches long, camouflaged, and not moving, the drone can help us see it.”

That’s a huge advantage for any python hunters, as these snakes are highly skilled at camouflaging their impossibly large bodies.

Here’s a quick video showing one of these thermal-tracking drones in action:

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