Florida hunters capture more than 80 giant snakes in Python Bowl

Annual challenge encourages the public to catch as many of the invasive giant snakes that decimate native wildlife as possible

Most visitors to the mosquito-infested swamps of the Florida Everglades are happy to leave again quickly: a half-hour airboat ride and photograph of a basking alligator is usually enough to satisfy the curiosity of any tourist keen to return to the theme parks and beaches - or sports events - of the sunshine state's more traditional attractions.

But Mike Kimmel wouldn't be anywhere else. The professional wildlife trapper and self-styled python cowboy's most recent excursion into the uninhabitable backwaters of the famed River of Grass region was rewarded with the grand prize in this year's extra-special version of the annual Python Challenge encouraging the public to catch as many of the invasive giant snakes that decimate native wildlife as possible.