The 2026 Florida Python Challenge produced a jaw-dropping new record. Veteran hunter Tom Rahill caught 96 Burmese pythons during the July 10–19 competition — more than a third of the 280 total snakes removed by all 900-plus participants combined. His nearest competitor finished 60 snakes behind him. Rahill also took home the Professional division's $10,000 grand prize.
What made the feat even more remarkable is that all 96 snakes were caught in Everglades National Park, which returned as an official competition site this year. Rahill, a 69-year-old Floridian who recently had a hip replacement, credited careful planning and an e-bike for getting him away from the crowds and into less-trafficked areas. The defining moment came when he and his partner encountered a 17-foot female python. After capturing her, they searched nearby and discovered a clutch of 98 eggs — 96 of which had already hatched into live, countable snakes.
The Florida Python Challenge has been held annually since 2013, organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD). Competitors enter one of three divisions — Novice, Professional, or Military — and are required to complete an online training course covering python identification, safe handling, and humane euthanasia before participating. Cash prizes recognize both the highest snake count and the longest python caught in each category.
The stakes are real: wildlife officials estimate tens of thousands of Burmese pythons now inhabit the Greater Everglades, descendants of pets released or escaped decades ago. The snakes have thrived in South Florida's subtropical climate and have been linked to severe declines in native mammal populations. Year-round removal contractors working for FWC and SFWMD have pulled more than 19,000 pythons from the ecosystem since 2017, and the annual challenge is designed to complement — and bring public attention to — those ongoing efforts.
This story was originally reported by MeatEater Conservation News.
