The 2025 Florida Python Challenge™, which officially wrapped last week, was the most impactful in the competition’s 12 year history. In just 10 days, 934 participants from 30 states and Canada removed 294 invasive Burmese pythons.
But the event, organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District and proudly supported by our Foundation, is about more than just the stats. It’s a conservation movement that combines boots-on-the-ground action with broad public awareness. Burmese pythons may look exotic, but they’ve wreaked havoc on native species from raccoons to wading birds and endangered mammals. Without natural predators and with fast reproduction rates, they have become a top threat to south Florida’s delicate ecosystems.
At the top of the leaderboard this year was Taylor Stanberry, who took home the grand prize of $10,000 after capturing a record-breaking 60 pythons, the most ever caught by a single participant in the event’s history.
Veteran hunter Donna Kalil followed closely behind with 56 pythons, once again showing why she’s a legend in the field. Meanwhile, first-time competitor Krista Hoekstra made an impressive debut with 14 snakes, and Michael Marousky nabbed the largest python of the competition: an eye-popping 15-foot-11-inch serpent.
With over 1,400 pythons removed through the Challenge to date, and more than 23,000 removed overall through combined state efforts, we’re making real progress. But there’s still work to do.
If you see an invasive species, report it at IveGot1.org or call 1-888-IVE-GOT1. Want to support the cause? Donate to our Combatting Invasive Species Fund to protect Florida’s native wildlife.
Florida’s wild future is worth fighting for, one python at a time.
