Plot Synopsis

GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES is a one-hour reality series that follows snake hunter Dusty 'The Wildman' Crum, as he and his team save the Everglades from foreign predators and total destruction. 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. This foreign predator has already decimated more than 90 percent of certain mammal and bird species in parts of the Everglades. 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."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season 2 of GUARDIANS OF THE GLADES premiered on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery. This season the problem is worsening -- with Pythons doubling in size and number - so Florida is doubling the bounty and Dusty and team are doubling down their efforts. Dusty is reinventing his tactics with everything from new technology to ingenious solutions as he charges barefoot into the Everglades to save the swamp he calls home -- and catch the biggest python on record. His eclectic team of fellow snake hunters is back, including rookie Brittany, swamp guru Jay, wildlife expert Gary, and survivalist Tom. 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. In the season opener, "Stranglehold," Dusty Crum and his team of snake hunters devise a plan to stop Florida's invasive pythons from spreading north and becoming a national emergency.