EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. (AP) — Registration begins soon for the Python Challenge, which encourages hunters to kill or capture pythons in the Everglades for cash prizes.
Multiple media outlets report that people can register for the challenge beginning Thursday at pythonchallenge.org. The event is a month-long competition sponsored by the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission and is meant to reduce the impact of the invasive snake that scientists say is altering the balance of the Everglades' unique ecosystem.
The challenge begins at noon Jan. 16 and ends at 7 p.m. Feb. 14. The commission is offering cash prices to the teams and individuals who capture the most pythons and the longest python.
Participants must first take a required online training course. The commission also offers in-person training sessions that teach how to identify Burmese pythons.
