Grand prize winner removed 20 Burmese pythons from the wild in Florida challenge
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — It’s official: this year’s Florida Python Challenge has a winner.
The $10,000 top prize went to Ronald Kiger, who retrieved 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades during the 10-day hunt that was intended to raise awareness about the threat that these pythons form for the ecosystem. Last year he was the direct runner-up to the winner of the grand prize.
Representatives of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Kiger’s win at a Tuesday morning rally in Duck Key. This year, more than 800 people from 33 states and Canada took part in the challenge and hunters captured 195 Burmese pythons from the wild.
The remainder of the prize money was divided among competitors in the contest’s three categories: novice, professional, and military. Donna Kalil was one python shy of a tie with Kiger. Kalil, a contractor with the South Florida Water Management District, was awarded a $2,500 prize for capturing 19 pythons in the professional category.
Also in the professional category, Marcos Rodriguez caught 16 pythons, worth $1,500, and Quentin Archie won a $1,000 prize for catching the longest python in this category, measuring 2.7 meters in length.
Thomas Hobbs won $2,500 for leading the novice category by capturing 16 Burmese pythons, while Dennis Krum captured the longest python in this category and also of the entire competition, measuring 10 feet long.
Jeff Lince captured five pythons and won $2,500 in the military category, and Antonio Ramos won $1,000 for capturing the longest python in this group, which measured 9.5 feet (2.9 meters) long.
The challenge took place in mid-August, with hunters tasked with humanely killing Burmese pythons and delivering the carcasses to one of the contest’s three checkpoints in South Florida.
The challenge wasn’t just meant to give hunters a shot at some of the roughly $25,000 in prizes. It also served to raise awareness about the dangers of Burmese pythons, including how they affect native snakes, can spread disease to native wildlife, and have high mercury levels that are dangerous for human consumption.
“Since 2017, more than 14,000 pythons have been successfully removed by FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors,” said Rodney Barreto, chairman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, in a press release. “This collaborative effort continues to have a direct positive impact on the Everglades and our native wildlife through removal and awareness.”
This year’s competition was slightly smaller than last year. In 2023, over 1,000 hunters participated and 209 pythons were removed.
Hunters under contract with the state wildlife commission and the South Florida Water Management District work year-round to remove the invasive pythons from the wild. A female python can lay about 50 to 100 eggs at a time, so the contest is held during breeding season in August. According to the wildlife agency, about 22,000 pythons have been removed from the state since 2000.