Florida Python Challenge: 231 Pythons Removed From Everglades In Annual Contest

In the course of an annual competition to get rid of the invasive species from the South Florida wetlands preserve, more than 230 pythons were taken out of the Florida Everglades. Nearly 1,000 participants from 32 states, Canada, and Latvia came together to remove hundreds of Burmese pythons from south Florida as part of the 2022 Florida Python Challenge.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Thursday that participants removed 231 invasive Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition created to increase awareness about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida's ecology.

Matthew Concepcion removed 28 Burmese pythons, winning the $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize courtesy of the Bergeron Everglades Foundation. The winner of the $1,500 grand prize for the longest python removed in the competition, at a length of 11 feet, 0.24 inches, was Dustin Crum, the commission said in a release.

The Everglades is a naturally occurring area of tropical wetlands in the southeastern US state of Florida. It is made up of the southern half of a sizable drainage basin that is located in the Neotropical region.

"Once again, the Florida Python Challenge has yielded impressive results, with hundreds of invasive pythons being removed from the wild," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "Removing these snakes is one of the many efforts we are employing to restore and maintain the Everglades ecosystem."

"Strong partnerships, the dedication of hundreds of python hunters, and the unwavering support and leadership of Governor DeSantis, have brought us another great success in removing hundreds of Burmese pythons," said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.