More Than $30,000 Up for Grabs at the 2023 Florida Python Challenge, Ultimate Grand Prize is $10,000

This event is to raise awareness about invasive species in Florida and their impacts

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, participants of the 2023 Florida Python Challenge have the opportunity to win a share of thousands in cash prizes.

The event, which is hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District, features an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000 sponsored by Inversa Leathers. There is also a prize of $7,500 for the Grand Prize Runner Up, sponsored by the Bergeron Everglades Foundation.

“This year we’re going to have $30,000 worth of prizes,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “We want to thank the private sector. Without them, we couldn’t offer such great incentives.”

Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories courtesy of Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the FWC, SFWMD, and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida host the Florida Python Challenge to raise awareness about invasive species in Florida and their impacts.

The event, which runs Aug. 4-13, encourages people to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal.

Visit FLPythonChallenge.org to register for the competition, take the required online training, view the optional training opportunities, learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem, and find resources for planning your trip to South Florida to participate in the Florida Python Challenge.

Burmese pythons are not native to Florida, and they negatively impact native wildlife. This invasive species is found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals, and other reptiles.

A female Burmese python can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time. Since 2000, more than 18,000 Burmese pythons have been reported to the FWC as being removed from the environment.

For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python.

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