Taylor Stanberry secured first place in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge after capturing 60 Burmese pythons, a species considered dangerous and harmful to the local ecosystem.
She received a grand prize of $10,000. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced the result.
According to the report, 934 participants from 30 US states and Canada took part in the 10-day event. Together, they caught a record total of 294 pythons.
Stanberry and her husband, Rhett, live in Naples, Florida. They also manage social media pages focused on snakes and hunting.
A member of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) board, Ron Bergeron, explained that Burmese pythons can grow up to 20 feet in length and weigh as much as 200 pounds. He warned that the species continues to damage the natural food chain of native wildlife.
The FWC introduced the competition to help reduce the population of these invasive snakes and raise public awareness of the threat they pose.
