{"id":301117,"date":"2026-06-09T10:06:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T10:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/301117\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T10:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T10:06:18","slug":"python-egg-hunt-florida-elimination-program-adds-new-reward-category","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/301117\/","title":{"rendered":"Python egg hunt: Florida elimination program adds new reward category"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now in its second full years, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Python Elimination Program<\/a> continues to involve.<\/p>\n

For the first time since the program started in 2025, the SFWMD is keeping track of and rewarding contracted hunters for total number of eggs removed during the month.<\/p>\n

Female pythons can carry can carry dozens or even hundreds of eggs at a time<\/a> and finding pythons with eggs and eliminating them contributes to the ongoing efforts of reducing the Burmese python population which is harming the ecosystem in the Everglades.<\/p>\n

How can you become a contracted python hunter?<\/p>\n

Federal and state programs contract with members of the public to become paid\u00a0python hunters<\/a>\u00a0to combat Burmese pythons in Florida, including:<\/p>\n

South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program<\/p>\n

Florida Fish & Wildlife Python Action Team<\/p>\n

FWC offers training to the public, free of charge, via its\u00a0Python Patrol program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Virtual classes are offered every third Thursday of the month.<\/p>\n

The training covers:<\/p>\n

Class registration and a self-guided version of the training are available on the\u00a0FWC website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FWC does not offer compensation for pythons except to contracted members of the PATRIC Program and winners during the Florida Python Challenge.<\/p>\n

More: Florida Python Challenge 2026 dates are set. How 2025 champ scored the win<\/a><\/p>\n

According to the Facebook post the SFWMD made on June 5, last month\u2019s bonus awards also rewarded hunters for removing python eggs and active nests from the landscape. Together, the hunters eliminated 315 eggs.<\/p>\n

Elimination python in Florida: Hunters earn money for removalsPhotos of South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program winners<\/p>\n

1 of 17<\/p>\n

Megan De Angelis, right, was the overall winner (most pythons eliminated) for the South Florida Water Management District’s Python Elimination Program for May 2026.<\/p>\n

(Provided by South Florida Water Management District)<\/p>\n

Here are the May 2026 winners for the SWFWD Python Elimination Program:<\/p>\n

Most Pythons removed: $600 \u2212 Megan De Angelis (81 captures; 1 nesting female python and 80 eggs)<\/p>\n

Longest Python removed: $400 \u2212 Donna Kalil (17 feet, 6 inches)<\/p>\n

15 Pythons removed: $1,500 \u2212 Guillermo Tapanes, Anthony Flanagan, Tommy Lee, Kyle Findley, Christina Kraus and Megan De Angelis<\/p>\n

10 Pythons removed: $1,000 \u2212 Donna Kalil and Matt Kogo<\/p>\n

7 Pythons removed: $500 \u2212 Andre Brown and Aaron Mann<\/p>\n

4 Pythons: $300 \u2212 Alec Rex, Joseph Currie, Kristine Bartish, Richard Catrambone, Federico Arrosa, Frank Alonso and Joaquin Vila<\/p>\n

\"Python<\/p>\n

Python hunter Donna Kalil won the monthly award from the South Florida Water Management District for the longest python removed. It was measured at 17 feet, 6 inches.<\/p>\n

From the SFWMD to the hunters: “Thank you to all of our python removal agents! Every invasive python and nest that is removed is making a difference to protect the Everglades and the region’s native wildlife.”<\/p>\n

Python removal efforts in Florida: What they are saying<\/p>\n

Here’s some of what people are saying on the South Florida Water Management’s Facebook post about the May winners for its Python Elimination Program<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Deborah Axtell Dobbins said: Great job, keep up your hard work!<\/p>\n

Lori Irvine Cameron said: Great job by all<\/p>\n

Ron-Mary Boltze said: Awesome. Thanks to all of you for your hard work saving our Everglades.<\/p>\n

David Potter said: What a month! Well done hunters!<\/p>\n

Anna Petofi said: Can\u2019t have them over take Everglades\u2019s ecosystem<\/p>\n

Malinda Kilby said: Thank y\u2019all so much for what you\u2019re doing for us !! Much respect !!<\/p>\n

Jay Vetsch said: Great job! Is the bonus money enough to get high participation?<\/p>\n

Mark H. Bickel is the Audience Development Director for The News-Press & Naples Daily News. Reach him by emailing mbickel@usatoday.com.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: How can you become a contracted python hunter in Florida?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Now in its second full years, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) Python Elimination Program continues to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[12509,28,30,29,116511,126445,126444,807],"class_list":["post-301117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-burmese-python","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-news","tag-florida-python-challenge","tag-megan-de-angelis","tag-sfwmd","tag-south-florida"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/301118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}