Registration opens for Florida Python Challenge

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – The Florida Python Challenge has opened registration for its annual python hunting competition. The event invites the public and paid professionals to go to the Everglades and hunt invasive Burmese pythons.

The competition starts on August 9 and lasts 10 days until 5 pm on August 18. You can register as a professional or rookie, with an additional military category for active members and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Hunters in each category who catch the most pythons will receive a $2,500 prize, while those who catch the longest will take home $1,000. A grand prize of $10,000 is awarded to the individual who catches the most pythons of all participants, regardless of category.

Since the first Python Challenge was held in 2013, participants have removed more than 18,000 snakes, helping to limit their growing population in the Everglades.

Florida’s first pythons are believed to have escaped into the wild along with many other privately owned animals in 1992 due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew. Burmese pythons have no natural predators in Florida, so their population grew uncontrollably throughout the Everglades. These large reptiles continue to disrupt the food chain by killing native species including birds, deer, and alligators.

The challenge remains a key part of a large-scale effort by multiple government and nonprofit organizations in the state to eradicate Burmese pythons and attempt to return balance to the ecosystem.

You can learn more about the Florida Python Challenge and how to register by visiting flpythonchallenge.org.

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