Python hunt! 800 compete to remove Florida's invasive snakes

Mike Letterman

Aug 7, 2022, 9:13 PM
2 Views

FILE - A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami. More than 800 competitors will be trudging through the Florida Everglades for the next eight days, in search of invasive Burmese pythons that will bring in thousands of dollars in prize money. The python hunt officially began Friday, Aug. 5, and runs through Aug. 15. Officials who gathered in Miami to kick off the annual campaign say it's significant because the non native snakes are killing off birds and mammals in the Everglades ecosystem. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

For the next eight days, more than 800 competitors will be trudging through the Florida Everglades in search of pythons that will bring in thousands of dollars.

According to officials who gathered in Miami to kick off the event, the python hunt started Friday morning.

Florida's first lady said that every python removed is a less-invasive species.

The news release states that more than 17,000 pythons have been removed from the environment. The pythons are not native to Florida. A female python can lay a lot of eggs.

There are cash prizes of up to $2,500 for those who remove the most pythons. Each category has a prize for the longest python. If a hunter kills a python inhumanely or kills a native snake, they will be disqualified.

More than 30 states and Canada have registered hunters. The competition accepts registration Participants have to complete an online training course in order to register.