Guardians of the Glades is back, and Dusty “Wildman” Crum is sparing no time diving in and getting dirty when it comes saving the Florida Everglades in his unique and dangerous way — hunting pythons in his bare feet. In a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of Tuesday’s Season 2 premiere of the Discovery show, Crum throws himself into a heated tussle between a python and wild hog in order to protect the mammal from the invasive species.
Using his tracking skills and knowledge of the Everglades to track a swatch of hog hair to the site of the conflict, Crum doesn’t think twice before diving in to uncoil the pig from the massive python’s grip, calling on the help of his wildlife expert Gary to free the hog in a tense scuffle that nearly brings everyone into the swampy waters.
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It’s this kind of impact that Burmese pythons have been having on local wildlife in the Everglades since the 1970s, having escaped from pet owners or been set free. In 1992, things got even worse with the invasive reptiles, as Hurricane Andrew demolished a breeding facility, unleashing 900 baby pythons out into the wild. In Season 2 of Guardians, the pythons have doubled in size and number, and Florida has increased the bounty for the hunters who bring down the massive snakes.
“It means that our work is really just beginning,” Crum told PopCulture.com ahead of the season premiere. “What we’re finding is the food sources in some areas have been decimated, forcing the pythons to spread to new areas.”
Finding evidence that the snakes are now traveling through salt water, or “island hopping,” Crum has been forced to expand his expertise and rely on his knowledge of the earth.
“You have to adapt. It’s a learning process every day to traverse new areas every day,” he explained. “You have to read the earth like a sign every day.”
With this kind of drama ahead, Crum encouraged even people who fear things that slither to tune in.
“If you’re scared of snakes, don’t let that stop you from watching,” he explained. “This is about Florida’s ecosystem. It’s about what’s happening in our world.”
Guardians of the Glades returns for Season 2 Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. ET only on Discovery and Discovery GO.
Photo credit: Discovery
