Where the Wild Things Are w/ Butch Smith of Southern Trappers

One of the things I love about living and working in Southwest Florida is that no matter where I am, if I look up and pay attention, I’m surrounded by wildlife. From the ibis and egret overhead, to the teeny geckos at my feet or  the bright green anole lizard who stares me down outside my office window—well, our animals are everywhere.

For the most part, that’s a good thing. But when it’s a problem—when an animal gets caught where it shouldn’t be, or when an invasive animal gets out of control, that’s when it’s time to call my next guest. He’s Butch Smith, and he’s the founder of Southern Trappers Nuisance Wildlife Removal, based right here in Bonita Springs.

I met Butch through a friend whose community hired Southern Trappers specifically to handle the cane toad infestation we’ve all been hearing so much about in the past few years. And while at one time, his business was more like an advanced version of pest control, in recent years, the work as become a critical part of helping us managing our environment and protect the wildlife populations that are getting overtaken by species such as the cane toads, igauana and pythons.

Before we dive in, your Bonita Business Podcast is supported by the Spotlight News Magazine, local news that shines a light on the people of Naples, Bonita Springs and Estero. Read the Spotlight at swspotlight.com.

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Now, let’s listen to my conversation with Butch Smith of Southern Trappers, based here in beautiful Bonita Springs, Florida. Get the show notes with pictures at BonitaBusinessPodcast.com.