AmericaThe annual Python Challenge python hunting competition in Florida officially accepts registrations with the aim of calling for community support to control invasive python populations.
The contest allows people around the world to hunt the Burmese pythons that are disrupting the ecosystem in the Everglades wetlands, regardless of whether they are professional or amateur hunters, Newsweek reported on May 31. Participants can receive bonuses of more than 25,000 USD. The contest will last from August 9 to August 18. Prize money is divided into several categories, including longest python and most pythons caught.
Burmese pythons were first introduced to Florida in the 1970s, most likely as pets released into the wild. They are native to Asia and thrive in Florida’s subtropical climate. Since then, they have exploded in number and destroyed the native ecosystem. They eat rare native Florida wildlife such as bobcats and sometimes alligators. Large female pythons can carry 50 – 100 eggs at a time, meaning the number of pythons is out of control. Pregnant female pythons are very valuable in competition due to the huge number of eggs they can lay. The Burmese python is an apex predator, not hunted by any other animal, and is one of the largest snakes in the world.
Although the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission seeks to eliminate pythons in the state year-round, the annual competition offers the opportunity to remove multiple pythons at once. Participants must complete an online training course before participating, but do not need a hunting license.
“Florida will continue to make record investments in protecting the state’s unique natural resources for future generations, including eradicating invasive Burmese pythons,” said Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez at the launch ceremony. competition.
Python populations are so widespread in the Everglades that one of the largest pythons ever was found there in 2022. The python was nearly 5.5 meters long and carried 122 eggs. After it was captured, an autopsy revealed the python had hooves in its digestive tract, meaning its last meal was likely a native white-tailed deer. Last year, 1,050 people registered to participate in the contest with a total of 209 pythons captured and removed from the Everglades.