2016 Python Challenge

2016 Python Challenge
(CLICK the link above to view the official web page)
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission sent this bulletin at 12/02/2015 12:54 PM EST

2016 Python Challenge^TM.This coming year, with the help of our partners, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida are hosting the 2016 Python Challenge™. This month-long invasive species awareness campaign will again include a public competition to remove nonnative Burmese pythons from public lands in Florida. With expanded participating areas, the lands where participants can search for and remove pythons have more than doubled.

Are you up for the Challenge? Register for the Python Removal Competition and compete to see if you can harvest the longest or the most Burmese pythons and win grand prizes of $5,000 in the team category and $3,500 in the individual category.

We are providing frequent hands-on training for people who want to learn more about how
to capture pythons, both before and during the event. The 2016 Python Challenge™ will kick off at the Invasive Species Awareness Festival on Jan. 16, 2016 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. 

Details about trainings, competition rules and registration, prizes and events are posted at PythonChallenge.org.

Captured in Palmetto Bay, October 12, 2005

ONCE AGAIN: The bigger question is will Palmetto Bay be included in the hunt zone? 
Of course not, but we should talk about the fact that we have our shares of Python captures in Palmetto Bay.  A prior post from three years early, Dec 12, 2012), noting that two large pythons have been removed from Palmetto Bay in 2012.  CBS 4 reported on November 26, 2012, that a “very large” python who made its home on a Palmetto Bay lawn was removed by the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom Unit near 180 Street and SW 77 avenue.  CLICK HERE to review the online story, Pesky Python Removed From Lawn Of Palmetto Bay Home.

Then there was the Christmas Day (2012) removal of a 13 foot Burmese python occurred from a Palmetto Bay pool.  Long time readers of South Dade Updates may recall the posting of the NBC6 report on 12/26/2012: (CLICK HERE) to view: NBC 6 reports: A 13-foot Burmese python was captured in the swimming pool of a Palmetto Bay home.  The Miami Herald reported that this snake was located and captured at a Palmetto Bay home located off 97th Avenue and SW 183 Street on Christmas Day (the link to the Miami Herald story has expired).  

Another famous capture was on October 12, 2005, by one of Palmetto Bay's original policing unit officers, Ofc Randy DiStefano, joined the capture of a non-native python.  This capture is took place on the grounds of the current Palmetto Bay Village Hall.   

Will more snakes be identified and captured at this Palmetto Bay village hall location?  Who is going to step up and participate in the Python Challenge, 2016?