New Discovery Channel Series “Guardians of the Glades” Spotlights Florida’s Python Problem and One Man’s Mission to Save the Everglades

Florida has a snake problem – and snake hunter Dusty Crum has assembled the team to tackle it.

The Everglades, considered the largest subtropical wilderness in the US, is a wetland paradise in the southern tip of Florida that is home to hundreds of unique species of wildlife. Once brimming with an abundance of life, today this swampy utopia and the native wildlife who call it home, is in grave danger. There is a new predator in town – the Burmese Python – which has already decimated more than 90 percent of certain mammal and bird species in parts of the Everglades. Now, one man has made it his life’s calling – and business – to save the Glades from these foreign predators and total destruction.

In an all-new Discovery Channel series, GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES, Dusty “The Wildman” Crum and his devoted crew fight to save the land they know and love, one snake at a time. GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES premieres Tuesday, May 28 at 10 pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. In addition, viewers can watch new episodes each week on DiscoveryGO. Viewers can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #GuardiansoftheGlades and follow Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew introduced a foreign and invasive breeding population of giant constrictors known as Burmese Pythons to the Southern Florida wilderness. In the wake of the destructive storm, the state began a python bounty program in a desperate attempt to regain control over the Glades and to protect the fragile and dwindling animal populations.

Dusty Crum, one of the most prolific snake hunters in the Everglades, has now taken the problem into his own bare hands. He has assembled an eclectic team of fellow snake hunters, experts and survivalists, including rookie Brittany, swamp guru Jay, wildlife expert Gary, survivalist Tom, and Riley, the #1 Python hunting Beagle in the state of Florida. Each has a purpose and a common goal: to stop the area’s python takeover and save their beloved home and the diminishing wildlife who inhabit it.

Despite the danger of tracking down and capturing these deadly creatures, some of which can measure upwards of 18-feet in length, Crum and his gutsy crew understand the reward is worth the risk. Over the last decade, severe mammal declines have been directly linked to the pythons – including full-grown deer – which end up in the stomachs of these snakes.

Crum, the fearless and charismatic leader of the pack is fast and in-tune with these slithering invaders and chooses to go without shoes during his missions through the Everglades because “… if you have a rubber sole between foot and Earth, you can’t absorb what nature is telling you.”

Following Crum deep into the mangroves of the Everglades and beyond, GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES spotlights the environmental crisis gripping the Florida wilderness and offers a thrillingly up-close look at what happens when the hunters become the hunted – complete with harrowing wrestling matches in the treacherous swamps.

GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES is produced for Discovery Channel by Parabolic Films in association with 3 Ball Entertainment. For Parabolic Films, Seth Sherman, Rick Sasson, Ross Weintraub, Jonathan Goldman and Brent Henderson are executive producers. For Discovery Channel, Joseph Boyle and John Slaughter are executive producers and Jessica Mollo is associate producer.