2025 Python Challenge: Florida woman wins with 60-snake haul; record 294 invasive pythons caught

Florida woman wins 2025 Python Challenge with 60-snake haul

A 4-foot-11 Florida woman has claimed the top prize in the 2025 Python Challenge after capturing 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day hunting event in the Everglades. Taylor Stanberry walked away with a $10,000 check after removing snakes, some three times her size, from the ecosystem.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. - A Florida woman has claimed the top prize in the 2025 Python Challenge after capturing 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day hunting event in the Everglades.

What we know:

Taylor Stanberry, a 4-foot-11 Florida woman, won the 2025 Python Challenge after capturing 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day competition in the Everglades, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

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The event removed a record 294 invasive pythons from South Florida, a species that threatens native wildlife and damages the ecosystem. 

Nine other hunters also received awards, including Aaron Man, who set a state record by catching 87 Burmese pythons in a single month. He earned a $1,000 prize for his July total.

What we don't know:

It is unclear how many of the pythons removed would have survived if not captured, or the exact impact of the challenge on the broader Everglades ecosystem long-term. The total population of Burmese pythons in the region also remains uncertain.

The backstory:

Burmese pythons are a nonnative species in Florida that has been devastating native wildlife for years. Florida began offering monetary incentives to encourage residents to capture and humanely remove pythons from private lands. 

The Python Challenge is part of a larger statewide effort to reduce the population and raise awareness about invasive species.

Earlier this year, Florida expanded cash incentives to encourage skilled residents to capture and humanely kill pythons on private lands in an effort to protect native habitats.

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