In West Palm Beach, Florida, Ronald Kiger emerged as the winner of this year’s Florida Python Challenge, claiming the $10,000 grand prize. Kiger successfully extracted 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades over the 10-day competition aimed at highlighting the threat these snakes pose to the environment. He had come in second place last year, narrowly missing the top prize.
The announcement of Kiger’s victory was made by representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during a meeting in Duck Key held on a Tuesday morning. The 2023 challenge saw participation from over 800 individuals from 33 states and Canada. In total, hunters managed to eliminate 195 Burmese pythons from the wild.
Apart from Kiger’s win, the remaining prize money was distributed among contestants in the novice, professional, and military categories. Donna Kalil, who caught 19 pythons, received a $2,500 award in the professional category, missing a tie with Kiger by just a single python. Marcos Rodriguez and Quentin Archie were also recognized in the professional category, receiving $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, for their python removal efforts.
In the novice category, Thomas Hobbs led with 16 Burmese pythons captured, securing a $2,500 prize. Dennis Krum caught the longest python in the competition at 9 feet 11 inches (3 meters) and in the novice category, earning special recognition. In the military category, Jeff Lince won $2,500 for capturing five pythons, while Antonio Ramos took home $1,000 for catching the longest snake in that grouping at 9 feet 7 inches (2.9 meters).
The challenge, which took place in mid-August, tasked participants with ethically euthanizing the Burmese pythons and delivering their remains to specified check stations in South Florida. Beyond the prize money totaling around $25,000, the event aimed to raise awareness about the dangers associated with Burmese pythons, including their impact on native wildlife, potential disease transmission, and high mercury levels harmful to human health.
Commenting on the competition, Rodney Barreto, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, highlighted the positive impact of removing over 14,000 pythons by agency contractors since 2017. The collective efforts continue to benefit the Everglades ecosystem and native wildlife through removal initiatives and educational outreach.
While this year’s contest saw a somewhat smaller turnout compared to the previous year, with over 1,000 participants contributing to the removal of 209 pythons in 2022, the ongoing work of hunters under contract with state wildlife organizations emphasizes the importance of addressing the invasive python population. Female pythons can lay substantial amounts of eggs, making the competition crucial during hatching season to curb their proliferation. Since 2000, approximately 22,000 pythons have been eradicated from Florida.
