Everglades National Park–one of the world's great biological wonders_美文

Everglades National Park–one of the world's great biological wonders

Project officials are working to improve the size and ecosystems of nearby lands. The area includes the Collier Seminole State Park and the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. If the goals are met, the project should help threatened and endangered animals.

For example, the population of one big cat has been falling in recent years. Panthers once existed in much greater numbers. But too much hunting, loss of panther homelands and vehicle strikes have reduced their population.

Wildlife experts are working to increase the number of panthers and other animals at risk. Scientists also want to remove Burmese pythons from the Everglades. Pythons have no natural enemies in the area.

No one knows how many of these huge snakes live in and around the Everglades. Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia. Python owners apparently left their unwanted snakes in the Everglades years ago.

Scientist Thomas Van Lent says pythons have been found along the sides of roads, as if thrown there from vehicles. Some of the creatures are big enough to eat bobcats and small deer.

Mr. Van Lent says it is very difficult to find pythons in the Everglades, and hunting them has not proved very effective. “Other animals and people usually find the snakes when they step on them by accident,” he adds. Other methods like trapping also have not solved the problem.

The future of the wild, beautiful and sometimes threatening Everglades is not clear. However, efforts to protect the area are continuing so people from all over the world may continue visiting this biological treasure.