Florida Python Challenge starts Friday
MIAMI, Fla. - Florida snake hunters are ready to storm the Everglades and remove invasive Burmese pythons.
The Florida Python Challenge begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 9, 2024.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says hundreds of people have registered to win up to $25,000 in cash prizes while protecting Florida’s native wildlife and the Everglades ecosystem. The person who removes the most pythons during the competition will win the $10K ultimate grand prize.
Other cash prizes will be awarded for the most and longest pythons removed in three different categories, including novice, professional, and military.
READ: FWC captures massive Burmese python in Everglades
FWC hosts the annual competition to increase awareness about invasive species in the state and the threats they pose to Florida’s ecology.
In a file photo, Donna Kalil, a python hunter who removes invasive Burmese pythons, shows a recent catch at a service plaza near Miami on April 23, 2021. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
People can register for the Florida Python Challenge until the last day of the competition. There is a $25 fee to register.
However, before registering for the Florida Python Challenge, participants must read and understand all rules, complete the required online training, and pass the quiz with a score of at least 85%.
Participants cannot use firearms, dogs, or other animals to capture or kill the pythons. Air guns and captive bolts may be used to humanely kill pythons at any time of day or night but they may not be used to take any native wildlife at night.
READ: Florida's native snake population sees decline caused by invasive parasite: Researcher
Pythons captured by novices must be humanely killed immediately at the site of capture.
Burmese pythons are believed to have arrived in South Florida as pets in the 1980s and then were released by frustrated owners who got tired of feeding them mice and other live meals. (Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
"The iconic Everglades is a national treasure and the Florida Python Challenge™ is a great way to get the public involved in understanding the unique Everglades ecosystem. Removing invasive pythons from across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem is critical, and we must do everything we can to combat this invasive species," said South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member "Alligator Ron" Bergeron. "We continue to expedite Everglades restoration efforts thanks to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis and we’ll continue working to protect South Florida’s natural resources. Thank you to all the staff from the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission who worked to facilitate this year’s python challenge. Long live the Everglades!"
Video: Snake startles Florida driver who mistook it for a python and called deputies
This year’s event runs through 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 18, 2024.
Click here for more information on the Florida Python Challenge.
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