Hundreds of hunters begin Florida's annual python challenge

The Florida Everglades are once again the hunting ground for the "Florida Python Challenge," an annual competition aimed at curbing the invasive Burmese python population. This year, hundreds of hunters have signed up for the chance to win a share of $25,000 in prizes.

The challenge, which runs from July 10 to July 19, has attracted at least 670 participants, according to Lisa Thompson, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The grand prize of $10,000 goes to the hunter who captures the most pythons. An additional $15,000 will be distributed among those who remove the largest quantity of snakes and catch the longest individual python, with awards in novice, professional, and military categories.

Safety is paramount, with the FWC recommending long pants, closed-toe boots, gloves, a flashlight, and a snake hook. Participants are also advised to carry water, food, and a GPS device or phone to record the coordinates of each captured python. The commission offers in-person safe capture courses during the opening weekend. The rules mandate humane sacrifice of the pythons and prohibit the use of firearms, with disqualification for killing native snakes. Hunting is restricted to eight authorized areas, including the Everglades National Park.

Burmese pythons, non-venomous but voracious predators, decimate native bird, mammal, and reptile populations in the Everglades. Their unchecked expansion is partly attributed to the 1992 Hurricane Andrew, which destroyed a facility housing these reptiles, releasing some into the wild. Since 2000, Florida has removed over 27,000 Burmese pythons from the wild. Meanwhile, the environmental group Conservancy of Southwest Florida reported a record scientific removal of 177 pythons, weighing nearly 3.7 tons, between November 2025 and April 2026.

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For participants, safety is, above all, a matter of preparation.