Florida Woman Wins $10,000 by Capturing 60 Invasive Pythons
You won’t believe this story coming out of Florida! A local woman, Taylor Stanberry, has just made headlines for becoming the ultimate champion of the 2025 Florida Python Challenge. Over a grueling ten-day competition, she managed to remove a jaw-dropping 60 invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades, claiming the $10,000 grand prize. And this wasn’t just about winning money—it was a major win for Florida’s fragile ecosystem.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced that a record-breaking 294 pythons were captured during this year’s challenge, which drew 934 participants from 30 states and even Canada. For the first time, Everglades National Park was included as one of the official competition sites, giving hunters like Stanberry even more ground to patrol. The Python Challenge isn’t just a contest—it’s a key conservation effort designed to protect native wildlife from these massive, non-native predators. Burmese pythons, which can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh over 200 pounds, have been decimating local populations of birds, rabbits, raccoons, and even deer, dramatically altering the Everglades’ food chain.
Taylor Stanberry, a resident of Naples, Florida, shares her passion for snakes with her husband Rhett, running a popular social media presence through Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Her success in the challenge highlights the role that everyday people can play in environmental protection. Participants are not only encouraged to catch pythons but also educated on how to safely handle these reptiles, spreading awareness about their impact on the ecosystem.
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The story doesn’t stop with the challenge. Conservationists have been battling the Burmese python problem in South Florida for over a decade. One of the most effective strategies involves surgically implanting radio transmitters in male “scout snakes” and tracking them to find breeding females. Each female removed from the wild potentially prevents hundreds of eggs from hatching, giving native wildlife a fighting chance. Since 2013, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida has removed over 40,000 pounds of pythons from the Everglades, a staggering amount that has required months of intense fieldwork through swamps, sawgrass, and treacherous terrain.
Experts emphasize that while these snakes are fascinating creatures, humane removal is necessary. Every year, the data collected helps improve strategies for controlling the population and protecting native species. Local residents are encouraged to report python sightings via the invasive species hotline or a dedicated mobile app, turning conservation into a community effort.
Taylor’s victory and the record python haul are a reminder that humans can make a real difference in preserving Florida’s unique wildlife. It’s not just about catching snakes—it’s about education, awareness, and taking an active role in safeguarding the Everglades for generations to come. In the end, her achievement is as much about protecting nature as it is about personal accomplishment, showing how one determined individual can leave a lasting impact.
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