iStockphoto / Mark Williams
The annual Florida Python Challenge wrapped up last month but the state just announced the official winners yesterday (September 17th) with this year’s top snake hunter taking home a grand prize of $10,000 after capturing and removing 20 invasive Burmese pythons from the wild.
It cannot be overstated how real of a threat these invasive Burmese pythons pose to the ecology of South Florida as they have been documented to prey on endangered species and other animals native to the region. These snakes also have perfect camouflage for the Florida Everglades and are nearly impossible to spot when they don’t want to be found.
2024 Florida Python Challenge Results: Winners and Prizes
That’s why the annual Florida Python Challenge is so important in the battle agains this invasive species. This year, 857 participants from 33 states and Canada successfully removed 195 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades with the grand prize winner, Ronald Kiger, removed 20 pythons himself.
Over the course of this year’s 10-day competition, Florida Python Challenge™ participants removed 195 invasive Burmese #pythons from the Everglades ecosystem! The big prize winner this year? A big congrats to Ronald Kiger, who removed 20 pythons to snag the Ultimate Grand Prize… pic.twitter.com/698gAB6hER
— MyFWC (@MyFWC) September 17, 2024
For his efforts, Ronald Kiger was awarded the $10,000 grand prize. Ronald finished in 2nd place in the 2023 Florida Python Challenge and earned $7,500 after removing 14 invasive Burmese pythons and was able to beat the field this year and claim the top prize.
Snake hunter Donna Kalil was *this close* to tying Ronald Kiger after catching 19 snake but finished in 2nd place to earn $2,500 in the Professional division. Thomas Hobbs claimed the $2,500 prize in the Novice division with 16 pythons caught.
Some BIG Snakes Were Caught
The largest Burmese python caught in this year’s competition was a snake measuring 9 feet, 11 inches which was captured by Dennis Krum who was competing in the Novice division. That snake earned Krum a prize of $1,000. Quentin Archie caught the largest snake in the Professional division measuring 8 feet, 11 inches which also earned a $1,000 prize.
There was a separate Military – Active Duty and Veteran category in the 2024 Florida Python Challenge. Jeff Lince (Army) earned the top prize of $2,500 after catching 5 invasive Burmese pythons. David Wagner (Army) earned $1,500 for 2nd place with 3 snakes.
The largest Burmese python captured in the Military category was a snake measuring a whopping 9 feet, 7 inches and that one was caught by Antonio Ramos (Army) which earned a $1,000 prize and meant that participants from the US Army would sweep the Military division this year.
How The 2024 Florida Python Challenge Compared To Years Past
It is interesting that participation in the Florida Python Challenge appears to be waning. Last year there were 1,050 snake hunters from 35 different US States (and Belgium). That’s 175 more snake hunters than participated in this year’s competition. And there were 209 total snakes removes last year compared to 195 Burmese pythons removed this year. Numbers were down across the board.
I recently reached out to a snake hunting guide to ask about a guided trip. It would cost over a thousand bucks for myself and a friend to ride on the back of a truck in the woods and look for snake eyes with a flashlight.
The state also recently recommended against eating Burmese python. Their findings and rationale for making that recommendation appear to be flawed, according to some. They state that high mercury levels in the snakes can be unhealthy but experts argue the levels are only found in snakes from very specific regions and it’s not a statewide issue or even a South Florida issue in general.
Conservationists believe that turning these invasive Burmese pythons into a viable food source for people and making them an appetizing to the public could be vital in the fight against this invasive species. The state says otherwise… Would that impact this year’s participation in the competition? Probably not, but many hunters do it for food and not sport.
Hopefully, participation in next year’s Florida Python Challenge will see renewed interest!