Florida python challenge: Hunt to save the Everglades with $10k prize
3:19 PM EDT, August 11, 2024
People do not just live hardcore lives in Australia. In Florida, USA, the Florida Python Challenge is currently underway, and participants are tasked with exterminating as many pythons as possible.
The contest, which involves killing pythons, sounds both controversial and dangerous. It seems like a challenge that could have historical roots, perhaps as a ritual or part of a festival, or something you'd see in Australia, where encounters with scorpions, snakes, or crocodiles are relatively common.
The Florida Python Challenge, as the name suggests, takes place in Florida, USA. The brave participants are tasked with exterminating as many Burmese pythons as possible.
They are fighting pythons. The prize is $2,400 (and helping the environment)
Burmese pythons are an invasive species in the Everglades National Park ecosystem. These snakes disrupt the environmental balance and prey on native species in Florida. For 10 years, the state's environmental policy has focused on raising public awareness about these animals. The Florida Python Challenge emerged from an educational program. While it may seem macabre, officials assure the public that it is essential for maintaining the balance of the Everglades’ fauna and flora.
This year, 600 people are participating in the contest, including hunters from different states across the USA and one volunteer from Canada. Anyone can compete, from amateurs to military personnel, with hunters rewarded in separate categories. The prize for killing the longest snake is $1,000, and for killing the largest number of snakes, it's $2,500. Winning in the open category is a bigger deal: the most effective hunter will take home as much as $10,000. The "open" hunt lasts for 10 days. During last year's contest, participants caught 209 Burmese pythons.
