Big Cypress National Preserve
Coverage of Big Cypress National Preserve in the Nexus archive.
- Florida governor shutters ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the closure of the South Florida migrant detention center 'Alligator Alcatraz,' which was established in the Everglades to detain criminal immigrants. The facility, criticized by environmentalists and civil rights advocates, deported 21,000 detainees over a year, according to DeSantis, who claimed it prevented dangerous individuals from being released.
- Slithering success: Florida conservationists celebrate record, 4-ton invasive python haul
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida removed 177 invasive Burmese pythons and 4,100 eggs during a six-month hunting season, achieving a record 8,080-pound haul. The effort used tagged scout snakes to target breeding adults, aiming to suppress local python reproduction. Notable captures include a 215-pound female python and a 19-foot, 125-pound female in Big Cypress National Preserve.
- Activists keep track of Alligator Alcatraz traffic in hopes of signs of a shutdown
Activists, including Jessica Namath of Floridians for Public Lands, are monitoring increased traffic at Alligator Alcatraz, a state-federal immigration detention facility in the Everglades, in hopes of a potential shutdown. The facility, which opened in July 2023, remains operational despite criticism over environmental and fiscal concerns.