Florida - Thursday August 3, 2023: The 2023 Florida Python Challenge kicks off tomorrow. The competition runs from Friday August 4th through Sunday August 13th.
The annual 10-day competition and conservation effort is a partnership between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). The aim is to promote the protection of native wildlife by removing Burmese pythons.
The Ultimate Grand Prize this year is $10,000, sponsored by Inversa Leathers. There is also a prize of $7,500 for the Grand Prize Runner Up, sponsored by the Bergeron Everglades Foundation.
Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories courtesy of Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
“This year we’re going to have $30,000 worth of prizes,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “We want to thank the private sector. Without them we couldn’t offer such great incentives.”
Visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register and learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem.
About Invasive Burmese Pythons
Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and they negatively impact native wildlife. This invasive species is found primarily in and 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 at a time. Since 2000, more than 18,000 Burmese pythons have been reported to the FWC as removed from the environment.
For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python.