Burmese Pythons are destroying Florida’s ecosystem. These snake-hunting veterans are fighting back.

Hunting for massive pythons in the dead of night doesn’t sound particularly relaxing. But for a group of Florida veterans coping with PTSD, it’s a form of therapy. The Swamp Apes - an association of python hunters founded 15 years ago - disappear deep into the Florida Everglades each night. They’re searching for Burmese pythons - an invasive species that has devastated the delicate wetland ecosystem. "The pythons have left a great impact - negative impact - in the environment here,” says Tom Rahill, python hunter and founder of Swamp Apes. “Where once there were thousands of animals, now it’s ...