Winning $10,000 for Eliminating Burmese Pythons in the Everglades

The winner of the grand prize in the Florida Python Challenge 2024 took home $10,000 for removing 20 Burmese pythons from the Everglades during this year's competition in the southern part of the state. Ronald Kiger clinched the top award in the contest, which aims to raise awareness about the threats posed by these pythons and other invasive species to Florida's ecosystem.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced the final results and winners of the 10-day contest held in mid-August on Tuesday. This year, 857 participants from 33 U.S. states and Canada joined the challenge to help conserve the Everglades, collectively removing 195 invasive Burmese pythons.

Competition Categories and Prizes

The remaining $25,000 in prizes was distributed among the winners of the competition's three categories: novices, professionals, and military personnel, based on the longest pythons and the most pythons removed. Donna Kalil nearly tied with Kiger, earning $2,500 for capturing 19 pythons in the professional category. Dennis Krum caught the longest python—9 feet 11 inches (3 meters)—in the novice category and in the entire competition, winning $1,000.

"FWC contractors and the South Florida Water Management District have successfully removed more than 14,000 pythons since 2017," stated Rodney Barreto, chairman of the FWC. "This collective effort continues to have a direct positive impact on the Everglades and our native wildlife through removal and awareness."

FWC Executive Director Roger Young thanked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and numerous partners who support the Florida Python Challenge each year "to raise awareness about the need to remove invasive Burmese pythons from Florida's environment."

The Burmese pythons are not native to Florida and have a negative impact on indigenous species, according to the wildlife agency's statement. They are primarily found in the Everglades ecosystem and surrounding areas in southern Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals, and other reptiles. A female Burmese python can lay 50 to 100 eggs at a time. According to the FWC, more than 22,000 wild Burmese pythons have been removed from Florida since 2000.

"In addition to the Florida Python Challenge, there are other ways people can continue to help control non-native species like Burmese pythons. Anyone can humanely remove and kill pythons and other non-native reptiles at any time on private lands with the landowner's permission and on 32 FWC-managed lands throughout South Florida," the conservation organization noted in their statement.