Governor Ron DeSantis Announces 2023 Florida Python Challenge®
The Floridant/10232438

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. ~ Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that registration for the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. The competition, which runs from August 4-13, 2023, will give participants the chance to win a share of more than $30,000 in prizes while removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild.

"Since day one, we have prioritized Everglades restoration by investing record funding for conservation projects and increasing resources for the removal of invasive Burmese pythons that harm this treasured ecosystem," said Governor DeSantis. "Because of this focused commitment, my tenure in office has accounted for more than half of the 18,000 pythons removed from the Everglades since 2000."

The competition is open to both professional and novice participants. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Chairman Rodney Barreto said that since the first Florida Python Challenge® in 2013, they have reached a countless number of people across the globe to alert them to the negative impacts caused by Burmese pythons and other invasive species in Florida.

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South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Governing Board Member "Alligator Ron" Bergeron added that removing invasive pythons from across the Greater Everglades Ecosystem is absolutely critical. He expressed his gratitude for Governor DeSantis' leadership and thanked every python hunter who is participating in this year's Python Challenge.

In 2022, participants removed 231 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades - an increase from 2021 and more than double those removed in 2020. Nearly 1,000 people from 32 states, Canada, and Latvia registered to take part in the 10-day competition last year.

The FWC encourages people to remove and humanely kill pythons from private lands whenever possible with landowner permission - no permit or hunting license required. For more information on Burmese pythons or to register for this year's competition visit MyFWC.com/Python.

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