COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Wildlife and Conservation holds the ten-day competition about awareness of the invasive species and how harmful the Burmese python is to Everglade wildlife.
Registration is still open to the public, and all competitors complete an online training course on safety and properly identifying the Burmese python species. The competition ends August 13 at 5 p.m.
The map of FWC’s website shows the legal places to hunt and humanely kill the animals, including Hendry and Collier counties, as well as the check in points where competitors return the python carcasses.
According to FWC, the Burmese python causes massive wildlife population drops in mammals, birds and reptiles. They want to engage the public in capturing the invasive species to protect the native everglades.
FWC said they emphasize safety first when it comes to capturing and humanely killing the Burmese pythons
FWC Nonnative Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator McKayla Spencer said, “There’s no gate in the middle of the Everglades stopping Burmese Pythons from going to one location to another, so at this point, it is not just multiple organizations who need to participate in control but having the public assist us in that control.”
FWC added that last year they captured around 200 Burmese pythons.
Cash prizes add up to $30,000 and award competitors who catch the most pythons and the largest.
