The Hunt Begins: 2024 Florida Python Challenge officially underway

Author: Paul Dolan Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:

Turning an apex predator into prey, the 2024 Florida Python Challenge has officially begun as hunters scour the swamp for their slithery foes.

WINK News reporter Paul Dolan joined in on the hunt, venturing into the Everglades with python hunters hoping to not only capture snakes but also the $10,000 grand prize.

While patrolling through the muggy, bug-infested swamp land, laser-focused hunters will suddenly stop their vehicles for the chance to catch the elusive invasive Burmese python.

Hunters like Robert Bramblet wasted no time prowling the swamp. The official start of the Florida Python Challenge was at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and ends on Aug. 18 at 5 p.m.

Bramblet believes that when it comes to finding pythons in the Everglades, you can have all the skill and talent in the world, but sometimes it comes down to being in the right place at the right time.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Burmese pythons are large constrictors that can grow to over 20 feet in length.

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FILE – A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

The challenge helps protect the Florida ecosystem, as each invasive serpent removed could potentially save hundreds of native species.

However, those caught in Florida are generally between 6 and 10 feet long. 

As adults, they are larger than almost all native snakes.

Concerns are swirling regarding sightings and reports showing the invasive constrictors spreading further west and north since 2003.

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Typical Burmese pythons are tan in color with dark blotches along the back and sides.

For more information and to participate in the challenge, click here.

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