Overview
- The 10-day Florida Python Challenge, held July 10–19, 2026, drew about 907 participants who collectively removed roughly 280 Burmese pythons from the Everglades.
- Professional hunter Tom Rahill captured and killed 96 pythons to win the $10,000 grand prize, and he runs the nonprofit Swamp Apes after more than a decade of python hunting.
- The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported that Python Challenge events have removed more than 1,600 pythons to date and that FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors have removed over 19,000 snakes since 2017.
- Conservation estimates put Florida’s Burmese python population between about 100,000 and 300,000, which shows that annual removals make local impact but do not substantially reduce the statewide invasive population.
- The competition uses prize categories for professional, novice and military hunters to mobilize contractors, nonprofits and veterans, and FWC asks the public to report sightings to its invasive species hotline to support ongoing management.