Burmese Pythons

Amy Siewe, who is well known in South Florida’s python-hunting community, is pioneering new territory in the wildlife guiding business, leading adventurous visitors on excursions to find the invasive constrictors that have overrun the Everglades.

Ronald Kiger will take home $10,000. The challenge was set up to allow hunters to humanely kill and remove the invasive snakes from the designated competition areas during a 10-day period.

The annual Florida Python Challenge invites participants to catch and kill invasive Burmese pythons, which feed on the state's native animal population.

It's meant to incentivize hunters to capture the invasive snakes to win prizes among a share of $30,000. The grand prize winner with the most snakes humanely killed gets $10,000.

Burmese pythons are hunted and euthanized in the Florida Everglades due to being an invasive species. Some countries farm python to eat and Australian researchers say its the best meat for the planet.

They include funds to research the long-term health impacts of red tide, and more money for the removal of Burmese pythons and other non-native species. The budget now awaits Gov. DeSantis' approval.

The snake, stretching 19 feet, was caught in the Big Cypress National Preserve. The invasive species runs rampant through southern Florida, wreaking havoc on the state's native animal populations.

An ambitious new paper produced by the U.S. Geological Survey found that the python population has exploded in only 20 years from a few snakes at the southern tip of Everglades National Park to an invasion that envelops the southern third of Florida.

Wildlife officials are using a new method to help control the explosive population growth of the invasive snake by tracking down their prey.

One trapper 28 Burmese pythons and won the $10,000 grand prize for most pythons caught. The longest python measured just over 11 feet, earning the winner $1,500.

More than 16,000 Burmese pythons have been removed since 2000. The hunt takes place starting Aug. 5.

The female python was 215 pounds, 18 feet long, and had a had 122 eggs inside of her.