The annual Python Challenge in Florida is officially open for registration, aiming to rally community support to control the invasive python population.
The competition allows participants from around the world to hunt Burmese pythons that are disrupting the ecosystem in the Everglades wetlands, regardless of whether they are professional or amateur hunters, Newsweek reported on May 31. Participants can earn over $25,000 in prizes. The event will run from August 9 to August 18 and the prizes will be awarded in various categories, including the longest python and the most pythons caught.
A group of hunters poses with a Burmese python they captured. (Photo: Space Coast Daily).
Burmese pythons were first introduced to Florida in the 1970s, likely as pets that were released into the wild. They are native to Asia and thrive in Florida’s subtropical climate. Since then, their numbers have exploded, wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem. They prey on rare native wildlife in Florida, such as bobcats and occasionally alligators. Large female pythons can lay between 50 to 100 eggs at a time, indicating that their population is out of control. Pregnant female pythons are especially valuable in the competition due to the enormous number of eggs they can produce. Burmese pythons are apex predators, not hunted by any other species, and are among the largest snakes in the world.
Although the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission strives to eliminate pythons in the state year-round, the annual competition provides an opportunity to remove many pythons at once. Participants must complete an online training course before joining, but no hunting license is required.
“Florida will continue to invest record amounts in protecting the unique natural resources of our state for future generations, including the eradication of invasive Burmese pythons,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez during the competition’s launch event.
The python population has spread so extensively in the Everglades that one of the largest pythons ever found there was discovered in 2022. This python measured nearly 5.5 meters and was carrying 122 eggs. After it was captured, an examination revealed that the python had hooves in its digestive tract, indicating that its last meal was likely a native white-tailed deer. Last year, 1,050 people registered for the competition, resulting in a total of 209 pythons being caught and removed from the Everglades.
