The competition has begun! 🐍 The 2020 Florida Python Challenge officially kicked off in South Florida Friday starting the race to find the most and biggest Burmese python in the Everglades.
There are over 550 people registered for the 10-day competition whose main goal is to remove as many pythons from the wild as possible. The pythons are native to Southeast Asia and pose a significant threat to Florida’s native wildlife.
“Today kicks off the 2020 Python Bowl, where participants will head into the Everglades to remove invasive Burmese pythons,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I am hopeful the Python Bowl brings much-needed public awareness and engagement on this critical issue: pythons are severely disrupting natural food chains and continue to threaten endangered species.”
Participants who remove the most pythons in the “Pro” and “Rookie” category will win a Tracker 570 Off-Road ATV. Those who remove the longest and heaviest snake in each category will be awarded a cash prize.
Prize winners will be announced at the Python Bowl awards ceremony on Jan. 25 at the Super Bowl Live event at Bayfront Park in Miami.
“We are taking aggressive action to restore the Everglades and eliminate invasive pythons from the Greater Everglades Ecosystem,” said South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Drew Bartlett. “The South Florida Water Management District, the FWC and many other partners have removed more than 9,700 pythons from the state of Florida.
Click here for more information on the Python Bowl.
