After a month-long hunt, 106 Burmese pythons have been captured throughout the Everglades National Park in Florida. Though this is an impressive number, pythons remain an invasive problem in the area, but wildlife officials are more concerned with bringing awareness to the issue.
The challenge ran between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14, and with temperatures averaging in the 70’s and a larger geographic area for the competition, hunters had favorable conditions for trapping the snakes, which wildlife officials believe have been stalking other native animals in the area.
“We are pleased with the success of this year’s Python Challenge,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) commissioner Ron Bergeron in a news release. “Each python that is removed makes a difference for our native wildlife, and the increased public awareness will help us keep people involved as we continue managing invasive species in Florida.”