Ronald Kiger has emerged victorious in the Florida Python Challenge, removing 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades during the 10-day event. The annual hunt aims to raise awareness about the invasive species' threat to the ecosystem. Kiger, who was last year's runner up, claimed the $10,000 grand prize on Tuesday. More than 800 participants from 33 states and Canada captured 195 pythons this year.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced the results in a Tuesday meeting in Duck Key. Donna Kalil, a contractor, nearly tied with Kiger, catching 19 pythons and earning $2,500 in the professional category. Other noteworthy winners include Marcos Rodriguez (16 pythons) and Quentin Archie (longest, at 8 feet, 11 inches) in the professional division, and Thomas Hobbs (16 pythons) and Dennis Krum (longest overall, at 9 feet, 11 inches) in the novice category.
The competition also included a military category where Jeff Lince won $2,500 for catching five. Overall, the contest distributed approximately $25,000 in prizes. Hunters were required to humanely kill and turn in the python carcasses. The challenge also serves to highlight issues such as mercury levels in pythons and their impact on native wildlife. Rodney Barreto of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission noted that over 14,000 pythons have been removed since 2017. The event helps manage the python population, with about 22,000 removed since 2000. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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