Florida in the United States is hosting a python challenge in which hundreds of participants are participating, a report in Newsweek said. The event is being held in Everglades, which spans about 4 million acres in southern Florida, and is home to an incredible variety of animals. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission-sanctioned challenge began on August 5 and will continue till August 14, the outlet further said.
This vital environment in Everglades is overflowing with biodiversity; in the national park alone, there are over 360 bird species, 300 fish, 50 reptiles, 40 mammals, and innumerable insect species.
In the python challenge, the participants attempt to kill as many Burmese Pythons as they can. According to the website of the event, the Burmese python pose a danger to the Everglades environment and its natural species, which includes migratory birds, small animals, and reptiles.
"If you've just seen a live Burmese python or other non-native snake on the loose, please report it by calling the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Exotic Species Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1," the website said.
Several people who took part in the challenge posted their photos on social media with pythons they captured. These photos have been featured by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on its Twitter handle.
"You could win the $10,000. Ultimate Grand Prize if you remove the most pythons during this year's Florida Python Challenge thanks to the Bergeron @evergfoundation," it said in one of the posts that showed a participant posing with a fully stretched python.
A user named Casey DeSantis shared few pictures on Twitter and wrote, "Great to kick off the 2022 Florida Python Challenge by going out into the Everglades with Alligator Ron and other great environmental advocates to join more than 800 folks from across 32 states to hunt pythons that, unfortunately, are harming our Everglades' ecosystem."
The post received thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
The precise number of Burmese pythons in Florida is unclear, but Newsweek said in its report that the number is well over 100,000.
