Latest news with #FloridaPythonChallenge
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
3 men catch monster Burmese python in Florida Everglades. Was it biggest ever captured?
Three hunters recently captured a massive Burmese python in the Florida Everglades. Zach Hoffman, Jan Gianello and Justice Sargood caught the invasive snake near Everglades City just after midnight on May 31. The constrictor was so large that Hoffman had to get a bigger tape measure. "At first we measured with a 15-foot tape measure that we had lying around, and it wasn't long enough," Hoffman said. "Then I took a measurement with a 25-foot tape. When I read the number out loud we couldn't believe it." First identified in Everglades National Park in 2000, the Burmese python may be the most destructive foreign animal in the park's history. The massive constrictors can grow to more than 18 feet and weigh over 200 pounds. Did the trio's catch break the record for the longest python ever captured? Here's what to know about the behemoth catch and the biggest pythons ever caught in Florida: Registration for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge — a 10-day event to remove invasive Burmese pythons — is open. This year's hunt runs from July 11 to July 20, Florida Fish and Wildlife announced May 15. Participants can win money prizes in several categories, including a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize. FWC works with partners and the public to hunt and kill the snakes, including the annual Florida Python Challenge. The 2025 Florida Python Challenge starts at 12:01 a.m. July 11 and ends at 5 p.m. July 20, Florida Fish and Wildlife announced May 15. There are $25,000 in cash prizes up for grabs for this year's hunt. The top prize of $10,000 goes to the person who catches the most pythons. Those with the most catches in the Novice, Professional and Military categories win $2,500, while runners-up in each group receive $1,500, and $1,000 is awarded for the longest pythons caught. There is no established firearm season during the time of the event. The use of firearms during the competition is prohibited. Burmese pythons captured in Florida must be humanely killed. While they are not protected in Florida, anti-cruelty law still applies. Step 1: The method should result in the animal losing consciousness immediately. These tools should result in the immediate loss of consciousness: Captive bolt Firearms (not allowed in the Florida Python Challenge and otherwise subject to property-specific and local rules) or pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air guns Step 2: The animal's brain should be destroyed by 'pithing' which prevents it from regaining consciousness. The invasive snakes are distributed across more than a thousand square miles in the Everglades and southern Florida. Burmese pythons have been found across the state and are slithering north. They may even reach Georgia. At 12:30 a.m. on May 31, Zach Hoffman, Jan Gianello and Justice Sargood were on their way home from an uneventful night of python hunting when they decided to check one last spot and spotted a huge Burmese python 'laying halfway on the road, half in the ditch." Sargood grabbed the python's head and wrestled with it, while Hoffman and Gianello controlled the rest of the snake's body to keep it from coiling too tightly. ➤ 'We couldn't believe it': Giant python wrangled, caught by 3 hunters in Everglades Once they had control over the large python, it was humanely euthanized. They attempted to measure the snake with a 15-foot tape measure, but it came up short. A 25-foot tape measure did the trick, and the hunters determined the massive python to be 16 feet, 8 inches long. The hefty snake weighed 105 pounds. A group of python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County. The monster snake was 19 feet long. The previous record was held by python hunters Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis who captured a python measuring a whopping 18-feet 9-inches in 2020. In 2013, Jason Leon captured a then-record 18-foot python in southeastern Miami-Dade County. The massive snake weighed 128 pounds. Licensed python hunter Mike Kimmel, alone on a spoil island in the Florida Everglades, caught a 17-foot python in 2020. Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists caught the heaviest Burmese python ever recorded in the Florida Everglades in 2022. The colossal female python weighed an eye-popping 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long. A 198-pound Burmese python was captured in November 2023 in the Big Cypress Preserve, making it the second-heaviest ever caught in the Sunshine State. The massive snake was 17 feet, 2 inches long. Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Burmese python caught in Everglades. Is massive snake largest ever?
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'We couldn't believe it': Giant python wrangled, caught by 3 hunters in Everglades
The famous quote from the movie Jaws is "You're gonna need a bigger boat." This line is spoken by Chief Martin Brody (played by Roy Scheider) to Quint (played by Robert Shaw) during the film. The line is used to emphasize the inadequacy of their current boat in the face of the shark. For Zach Hoffman, Jan Gianello and Justice Sargood it wasn't a bigger boat they needed when they caught a massive Burmese python on May 31. They needed a bigger tape measure. "Working in construction, I have a pretty good eye for measurements, so when numbers started to get thrown around about the length, I knew they were short of what we had caught," Hoffman said of the 105-pound female invasive snake. "At first we measured with a 15-foot tape measure that we had lying around, and it wasn't long enough. Then I took a measurement with a 25-foot tape. When I read the number out loud we couldn't believe it." They measured the python at 16 feet, 8 inches. It weighed 105 pounds with no contents in its stomach or eggs. "Two hundred inches on the button," Hoffman said. The snake was caught near Everglades City, Hoffman said. They caught it at 12:30 a.m. on their way home after an uneventful night of hunting Florida's most wanted invasive species. "We decided to check one last spot on our drive home." Hoffman said. "A few miles in, Justice said (from the front seat of the truck) 'IIs that a shadow?''. Hoffman was in the back seat. "I looked up and said 'That's no shadow'. Before the truck could even come to a complete stop we had jumped out and ran over to this snake which was laying halfway on the road, half in the ditch," Hoffman said. Without hesitation Hoffman said Justice grabbed the python by the head and started to wrestle with the snake. "Jan and myself controlled the rest of the body so it didn't coil up too tight," Hoffman said. "As soon as we had control over the snake, it was ethically dispatched. Then the realization of what we just caught started to set in." Not quite a record, but a sizeable catch to say the least. More: With Florida Python Challenge set for summer, a look at largest Burmese pythons ever caught "We were ecstatic," said Hoffman, who is 25 and is originally from Boston. "We made phone calls to friends that we knew were out hunting, sent texts to family, it was a big deal for us." The photo has made the rounds on social media, including Hoffman's Instagram page @SWFL_REAPER. The experience of hunting pythons paid off with this catch, Hoffman said. "This is none of our first rodeos. I've been hunting for two years now. I introduced Justice and Jan to the sport a year ago, where we ended up catching our previous biggest (10 feet, 2 inches). This snake blows all of our best snakes out of the water," Hoffman said. Hoffman estimated that as a group, he, Gianello and Sargoodwe've have caughtmore than 100 pythons. "Justice and Jan have been hitting it hard, putting 25 hours a week into python hunting, whereas I can only go a night or two a month with them," Hoffman said. "They have earned this snake, and hopefully a spot on FWC's Python hunting program as well." After the kill the snake was skinned with portions of its meat donated and consumed among friends and family. Hoffman said the skin will be tanned and put on display inside the house. It was an unforgettable experience for the commercial plumber from Boston, Massachusetts, who has lived in SWFL for four years. "We need more people out there eliminating these snakes," Hoffman said. "We will never be able to stop them, but we can put a big dent on the negative impacts they have on our natural wildlife. However, as big of an ecological threat these snakes may impose on our natural resources, the biggest threat is over development." A group of python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County. The monster snake was 19 feet long. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Burmese python, 16 feet long, caught by trio in in Florida Everglades
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida Python Challenge 2025: When is it, where is it, prize money. What to know
Good luck finding pythons, the invasive species that has been slithering around the Everglades for years and destroying the ecosystem. But just because pythons are difficult to find doesn't stop hunters from looking for them with hopes of putting a small dent in the population. The annual Florida Python Challenge is a big part of the effort to combat these unwelcome snakes. On May 15, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District announced the dates for the 2025 Challenge. Here are six things to know about the Florida Python Challenge: It begins at 12:01 a.m. on July 11, 2025 and it ends at 5 p.m. on July 20, 2025. This is earlier than in the past when the Challenge has been held in August. Registration is now open. Participants will remove pythons from seven commission-managed lands in South Florida. New this year: Everglades National Park has been added as an eighth competition location. For the 2024 Challenge there was $25,000 in prizes up for grabs. According to the FWC, the top prize of $10,000 goes to the person who catches the most pythons. Ronald Kiger won the grand prize in 2024. Kiger removed a total of 20 pythons. The Florida Python Challenge is a 10-day competition created by FWC to encourage participants to remove pythons large, nonvenomous constrictor snakes that are an invasive species in Florida. Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida via the pet trade and are now well established in the Everglades, where the snake represents a threat to the ecosystem. The competition also serves as a conservation effort to raise awareness about the python's impacts on local ecology and to encourage the public to continuously remove the snake from the wild. Along with the FWC the Challenge is supported by the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and Gov. Ron DeSantis. A total of 195 pythons were removed, which was 14 fewer than 2023. There were also fewer participants last year compared to 2023. There were 857 competitors, including two from Canada, who participated in the 2024 Challenge. More than 1,000 participated in 2023. Python carcasses must be kept chilled or frozen, then turned into the nearest Florida Python Challenge check station within 24 hours of capture. Participants must carry a printed or digital copy of their Florida Python Challenge registration notification email while hunting. Participants must complete required online training and receive a unique completion code. Only Burmese pythons removed from competition locations are valid entries. The use of firearms is prohibited during the competition. The use of dogs or other animals to search, capture, or kill is prohibited. Air guns and captive bolts are allowed. 'The Python Challenge is a great way to get people directly involved in the protection and stewardship of the Everglades,' said South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member 'Alligator Ron' Bergeron. 'We continue to advance Everglades restoration efforts thanks to the support of Governor Ron DeSantis, and we'll keep doing everything we can to protect this important ecosystem. Pythons disrupt the natural food chain and prey on native wildlife that depend on the Everglades. Removing pythons from this ecosystem is critical to the survival of the species that call this area home. The South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission continue to have great success managing these invasive pythons. Long live the Everglades!' 'We're excited to join our partners in the State of Florida for this year's Florida Python Challenge,' saidPedro Ramos, superintendent of Everglades National Park, who oversees the South Florida National Parks and Preserve. 'For years, we've worked alongside the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the South Florida Water Management District, and others to manage pythons and other invasive species while educating the public about their impact on the Everglades. This event marks another milestone in that collaboration as we include Everglades National Park in the Challenge.' This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FWC 2025 Florida Python snake hunt dates announced, prize money
Axios
19-05-2025
- General
- Axios
What to know about Florida's python hunting contest with a $10K prize
Registration is now open for The Florida Python Challenge, the annual competition where participants scour the Everglades to hunt down its most infamous intruders: the Burmese pythons. Why it matters: The invasive species preys on nearly every mammal in the Everglades, and faces few predators apart from humans. The competition aims to raise awareness about the threat Burmese pythons pose to Florida's ecosystem. What to know: The Florida Python Challenge runs from July 11 to July 20. You must register before then to participate. Group members must each register as individuals and submit the $25.00 fee.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
With Florida Python Challenge set for summer, a look at largest Burmese pythons ever caught
Dates for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge — a ten-day event to remove invasive Burmese pythons — are set and registration for the event is open. This year's hunt runs from July 11 to July 20, Florida Fish and Wildlife announced May 15. Participants can win money prizes in several categories, including a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize. First identified in Everglades National Park in 2000, the Burmese python may be the most destructive foreign animal in the park's history. Burmese pythons have put a stranglehold on Florida's wildlife, contributing to the decline of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, foxes, and marsh and cottontail rabbits, according to a USGS study. The massive snakes can grow to more than 18 feet and weigh more than 200 pounds. FWC works with partners and the public to hunt and kill the snakes, including the annual Florida Python Challenge. Here's what to know about the Florida Python Challenge for 2025 and the biggest pythons caught in Florida: The 2025 Florida Python Challenge starts at 12:01 a.m. July 11 and ends at 5 p.m. July 20, Florida Fish and Wildlife announced May 15. $25,000 in prizes are up for grabs for this year's hunt. The top prize of $10,000 goes to the person who catches the most pythons. Those with the most catches in the Novice, Professional and Military categories win $2,500, while runners-up in each group receive $1,500, and $1,000 is awarded for the longest pythons caught. Burmese pythons captured in Florida must be humanely killed. While they are not protected in Florida, anti-cruelty law still applies. Step 1: The method should result in the animal losing consciousness immediately. These tools should result in the immediate loss of consciousness: Captive bolt Firearms (not allowed in the Florida Python Challenge and otherwise subject to property-specific and local rules) or pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air guns Step 2: The animal's brain should be destroyed by 'pithing' which prevents it from regaining consciousness. The invasive snakes are distributed across more than a thousand square miles in the Everglades and southern Florida Burmese pythons have been found across the state and are slithering north. They may even reach Georgia. A group of python hunters caught the longest Burmese python ever measured on July 10, 2023, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County. The monster snake was 19 feet long. The previous record was held by python hunters Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis who captured a python measuring a whopping 18-feet 9-inches in 2020. In 2013, Jason Leon captured a then-record 18-foot python in southeastern Miami-Dade County. The massive snake weighed 128 pounds. Licensed python hunter Mike Kimmel, alone on a spoil island in the Florida Everglades, caught a 17-foot python in 2020. Conservancy of Southwest Florida biologists caught the heaviest Burmese python ever recorded in the Florida Everglades in 2022. The colossal female python weighed an eye-popping 215 pounds and was nearly 18 feet long. A 198-pound Burmese python was captured in November 2023 in the Big Cypress Preserve, making it the second-heaviest ever caught in the Sunshine State. The massive snake was 17 feet, 2 inches long. Support local journalism by subscribing to a Florida news organization. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida Python Challenge 2025 dates set. See biggest ever captured
