Latest news with #2025PythonChallenge
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida's new python hunting queen makes history and catches 60 snakes
A Florida woman caught 60 snakes in the state's annual 10-day challenge to eliminate the invasive Burmese python species wreaking havoc with the Everglades ecosystem. More than 900 people participated in the 2025 Python Challenge, a 10-day hunt in the steamy South Florida heat that this year made history on two fronts with the first woman to win the grand prize and the most total snakes caught since the competition began in 2013. Taylor Stanberry, a 29-year-old Naples resident, was introduced as the 2025 Florida Python Challenge winner on Aug. 13. At 4-feet, 11-inches tall, Stanberry is taking home the grand prize of $10,000 for catching 60 snakes. She is the first woman to win the grand prize in Florida's Python Challenge. Overall, the catches were also monumental this year with 294 pythons captured – the most in the contest's history. The contest brings together amateur and professional snake-catchers to hunt within certain zones of south Florida for the pythons, which threaten the state's ecology and are found in the Everglades, preying on birds, mammals and other reptiles. Challengers must capture and humanely kill the pythons and not harm any native species. Stanberry eliminated 33 female pythons and 27 males. The longest snake she caught was just over 9 feet and weighed about 16 pounds. "Every invasive python removed is a win," said Sarah Funk, nonnative fish and wildlife program coordinator with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. At least one participant noted that the July dates for the hunt lined up with new hatchlings swarming the southern wetlands, which provided plenty of opportunities for hunters. Donna Kalil, a contract hunter for the South Florida Water Management District, nabbed 56 snakes during the Python Challenge between July 11 and July 20. She brought in 19 during the 2024 contest when the event was held Aug. 9 through Aug. 18. The grand prize winner last year nabbed 20 snakes. "It's all because of the timing," said Kalil, who won $2,500 this year for catching the most snakes in the professional category of the challenge. "There were a lot of little baby snakes just getting out of the nest. Some had already had a meal. They come out and are ready to eat." Burmese python breed in the late winter to early spring with females laying clutches of eggs in March or April. The incubation period lasts between 60 to 90 days. Hatchlings can be up to two feet long, which is a lot of what Kalil said she caught. Her longest snake measured 5 feet, 5 inches. Last year she brought in a 12-footer. "All I got was little guys," she said. Stanberry, of Naples, is a contract hunter with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She said she has been hunting pythons for 10 years but this was the first year she entered the challenge. Her Facebook profile says she is a digital creator with an exotic animal sanctuary. "There are so many amazing female python hunters out there so I had some tough competition," Stanberry said after leaving the Aug. 13 FWC Commission meeting where the results were announced. Stanberry said most of her catches were babies, but she did nab one that she said was between 9.5 and 10 feet long. While this year's participation is higher than 2024, the number of hunters has fluctuated over the years from a high of nearly 1,600 in 2013 to just 600 during the early pandemic year of 2021. Participants hunted in designated areas that stretch from western Palm Beach County to the Tamiami Trail in the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. Other management areas included in the Python Challenge are Holey Land, Rotenberger and Southern Glades. This was also the first year that Everglades National Park allowed people to hunt in the park during the challenge. What are the prizes for the Florida Python Challenge? The $10,000 grand prize is awarded to the participant who removes the most snakes as part of the competition. There are also three competition categories including professional, novice and military. Each category includes a $2,500 price for most pythons caught, $1,500 for the second-highest number of pythons caught and $1,000 for the longest python. Participants may only win one prize, so if someone wins two, the person will be awarded the prize of the highest value and the next qualifying hunter will win the remaining prize. Why hunt Burmese pythons? Florida earnestly began hunting pythons in about 2012. It was the first year of the Python Challenge and the same year a study in Everglades National Park suggested pythons were responsible for a decline of 85% to 100% of the population of medium-sized furry animals, such as raccoons and rabbits. The Burmese python invasion started with releases – intentional or not – that allowed them to gain a foothold in the park by the mid-1980s, according to the 2021 Florida Python Control plan. By 2000, multiple generations of pythons were living in the park, which is noted in a more than 100-page 2023 report that summarized decades of python research. How many pythons have been caught? More than 15,800 snakes have been removed by hunters from the South Florida Water Management District and FWC since 2019. The hunters were called the "most effective management strategy in the history of the issue" by district invasive animal biologist Mike Kirkland. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment.
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Florida woman captures 60 pythons to win $10,000 in record-breaking challenge
Source: X/@MyFWC In this year's Florida Python Challenge, one woman reigned supreme, snaring 60 invasive Burmese pythons and walking away with the $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize, the largest haul ever recorded in the competition. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed that the 10-day event capped off a record-breaking removal of 294 pythons, thanks to the hard work of 934 participants from 30 states and Canada. This marks the first year that Everglades National Park was listed among the eight official competition locations, expanding both the reach and visibility of the challenge. A victory for conservation and public awareness Source: X/@MyFWC Taylor Stanberry, a resident of Naples, Florida, overcame immense odds to become the top participant of the 2025 Python Challenge. The FWC announced that Stanberry removed 60 pythons, earning her the Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000. A Naples local, Stanberry describes herself online as a 'venomous keeper' and 'venomous relocator'. FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto emphasized the impact of this year's results: 'The record number of invasive pythons removed from the Everglades during this year's competition is a big win for native wildlife.' He added that since 2017, more than 16,000 pythons have been removed by FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The Florida Python Challenge isn't just about prizes—it's also a tool for public education and habitat protection. South Florida Water Management District board member 'Alligator Ron' Bergeron shared: 'Under the leadership of the FWC, we started the Python Challenge' to combat the threat of pythons, which 'can get 20 feet long and weigh 200 pounds' and are 'destroying the natural food chain.' He also noted, 'The Python Challenge is not just catching pythons ... it's educating the public so that when you're in the Everglades ... learn how to remove a python safely year-round' According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), female Burmese pythons can lay between 50 and 100 eggs at a time, allowing them to spread rapidly. The reptiles, native to Asia, are believed to have entered the wild largely through the exotic pet trade. CBS News reports that more pythons were released into the Everglades in 1992, when Hurricane Andrew allegedly destroyed a facility holding captive pythons. FWC data shows that since 2000, more than 23,000 pythons have been captured and removed from the Everglades.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Florida Python Challenge winner nabbed 60 snakes and she's just 4'11"
More than 900 people participated in the 2025 Python Challenge, a 10-day hunt in the steamy South Florida heat aimed at raising awareness of the destruction caused by the invasive reptile to the fragile Florida Everglades. The winners of the contest were announced Aug. 13, including Taylor Stanberry, who at 4-feet, 11-inches tall is taking home the grand prize of $10,000 for catching 60 snakes. "Every invasive python removed is a win," said Sarah Funk, nonnative fish and wildlife program coordinator with the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. Overall, the catches were monumental this year with 294 pythons captured — the most in the contest's history. At least one participant noted that the July dates for the hunt lined up with new hatchlings swarming the southern wetlands providing plenty of opportunities for hunters. Donna Kalil, a contract hunter for the South Florida Water Management District, nabbed 56 snakes during the Python Challenge between July 11 and July 20. She brought in 19 during the 2024 contest when the event was held Aug. 9 through Aug. 18. The grand prize winner last year nabbed 20 snakes. "It's all because of the timing," Kalil said. "There were a lot of little baby snakes just getting out of the nest. Some had already had a meal. They come out and are ready to eat." Burmese python breed in the late winter to early spring with females laying clutches of eggs in March or April. The incubation period lasts between 60 to 90 days. Hatchlings can be up to two feet long, which is a lot of what Kalil said she caught. Her longest snake measured 5 feet, 5 inches. Last year she brought in a 12-footer. "All I got was little guys," she said. Other winners will be announced later today, Aug. 13. A total of 934 hunters participated in this year's challenge. More: UF researchers deploy robotic rabbits across South Florida to fight Burmese python explosion While this year's participation is higher than 2024, the number of hunters has fluctuated over the years from a high of nearly 1,600 in 2013 to just 600 during the pandemic year of 2021. Participants hunted in designated areas that stretch from western Palm Beach County to the Tamiami Trail in the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area. Other management areas included in the Python Challenge are Holey Land, Rotenberger and Southern Glades. This was also the first year that Everglades National Park allowed people to hunt in the park during the challenge. What are the prizes for the Florida Python Challenge? The $10,000 grand prize is awarded to the participant who removes the most snakes as part of the competition. There are also three competition categories including professional, novice and military. Each category includes a $2,500 price for most pythons caught, $1,500 for the second-highest number of pythons caught and $1,000 for the longest python. Participants may only win one prize, so if someone wins two, the person will be awarded the prize of the highest value and the next qualifying hunter will win the remaining prize. More: Python 'hot spot' identified in Palm Beach County by University of Florida study Why hunt Burmese pythons? Florida earnestly began hunting pythons in about 2012. It was the first year of the Python Challenge and the same year a study in Everglades National Park suggested pythons were responsible for a decline of 85% to 100% of the population of medium-sized furry animals, such as raccoons and rabbits. The Burmese python invasion started with releases — intentional or not — that allowed them to gain a foothold in the park by the mid-1980s, according to the 2021 Florida Python Control plan. By 2000, multiple generations of pythons were living in the park, which is noted in a more than 100-page 2023 report that summarized decades of python research. How many pythons have been caught? More than 15,800 snakes have been removed by hunters from the South Florida Water Management District and FWC since 2019. The hunters were called the "most effective management strategy in the history of the issue" by district invasive animal biologist Mike Kirkland. Kimberly Miller is a journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate, weather, and the environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@ Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2025 Florida Python Challenge winners announced by FWC Solve the daily Crossword
