Florida offers $10,000 reward for invasive Burmese python

The Florida government began accepting registrations for this year's Python Challenge on May 24, with a total prize money of up to $30,000.

Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida in the 1980s. Photo: Miami Herald

The 10-day competition, which runs from August 4 to 13, is open to both professional and amateur hunters. As in previous years, the grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded to the hunter who kills the most pythons, along with smaller prizes in other categories, according to Business Insider.

"There is no place in the world like the Everglades in the United States, and we need to continue to protect and restore this natural treasure," said Ron Bergeron, a board member of the South Florida Water Management District. "Removing invasive pythons from the Everglades ecosystem is extremely important. We must do everything we can to combat this species."

Hunters who participated in last year's contest killed 231 invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades, more than in 2021 and nearly double the number in 2020. Nearly 1,000 people from 32 states, Canada and Latvia signed up to participate.

In addition to the year-round opportunity to kill pythons on 25 state-managed lands, hunters can kill Burmese pythons on private land at any time with the landowner’s permission and without a permit. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages people to kill pythons whenever possible.

Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and are negatively impacting native wildlife. The invasive species is primarily found around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals, and other reptiles. A female Burmese python can lay 50 to 100 eggs per clutch. Since 2000, more than 18,000 Burmese pythons have been killed, according to the FWC.

An Khang (According to Business Insider )

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