The hunt is on in the Everglades as the 2026 Florida Python Challenge officially gets underway.
For the next 10 days, participants will search through the wilderness in an effort to capture as many invasive Burmese pythons as possible.
The annual competition aims to help reduce the population of the nonnative snakes, which wildlife officials say threaten Florida’s native species.
Burmese pythons are powerful predators with few natural enemies in the Everglades.
Officials say the snakes prey on a variety of native animals, disrupting the balance of the ecosystem.
Hunters competing in this year’s challenge will be racing for a $10,000 first-place prize, awarded to the person who captures the most pythons during the competition.
Last year’s event resulted in 294 Burmese pythons being removed from the Everglades.
The top hunter captured 60 snakes, earning the title of the challenge’s leading python remover.
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