"The 10-day competition is a conservation event held in the Everglades to fight the invasive Burmese python population in South Florida. The pythons are believed to have been initially introduced through the pet trade and are now threatening the native wildlife. (All captured snakes are killed.) Stanberry caught 60 pythons-three times the number of last year's winner-and collected $10,000. She is a seasoned snake hunter, but this competition produced some unique challenges, even for her."
"I grew up catching toads and snakes and going fishing, and I just continued to learn about wildlife when I came here. I loved searching for it, especially snakes. Now I'm a government contractor for python removal, and I've been catching pythons for over 10 years. [ Ed. note: Government agencies employ people year-round to remove and eliminate the invasive pythons.] I was in town during the Python Challenge this year and thought, Hey, why not!"
Taylor Stanberry, 29, captured 60 Burmese pythons during the 10-day Florida Python Challenge and won the $10,000 grand prize. The competition takes place in approved areas of the Everglades and aims to reduce the invasive Burmese python population that threatens native wildlife after being introduced through the pet trade. All captured snakes are killed. Stanberry has hunted pythons for over a decade and works as a government contractor for python removal while also running an exotic animal sanctuary and occasionally working at a physical therapy facility for dogs. The event intensified logistics, long nights, and stress around daily euthanasia and check-ins.
Read at Slate Magazine
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