Rahill won the $10,000 grand prize at the 2026 Florida Python Challenge after removing 96 Burmese pythons — all from Everglades National Park. The July 10–19 event drew 907 participants from 30 states, Canada and Vietnam and produced 280 pythons in total. Officials say the contest supports year-round removal programs aimed at controlling an invasive predator linked to sharp declines in native mammal populations.
Winner Captures 96 Burmese Pythons, Takes $10,000 at 2026 Florida Python Challenge
File Photo. Image Credit: Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash.
“Easy” is far from an accurate description for the work of locating invasive Burmese pythons in the dense sawgrass of the Florida Everglades. Still, one competitor turned in an extraordinary haul during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced that Rahill won the $10,000 grand prize after removing 96 Burmese pythons — all from Everglades National Park — during the July 10–19 competition. The event drew 907 participants from 30 U.S. states as well as entrants from Canada and Vietnam.
Numbers and Highlights
Competitors removed 280 Burmese pythons from South Florida during the challenge. Rahill’s 96 snakes accounted for more than one-third of the total removals.
In the professional division, Christina Kraus topped the leaderboard with 36 pythons; Taylor Stanberry took 34. The prize for the longest snake went to Rahm Levinson, who recorded a 16-foot, 5-inch python.
Why the Challenge Matters
The National Park Service says the challenge is designed both to remove invasive pythons and to encourage public participation in protecting the Everglades. Burmese pythons are now established across much of South Florida and prey on native mammals, birds and reptiles.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has linked the spread of Burmese pythons to severe declines in several mammal populations in Everglades National Park. In one USGS-supported study, pythons accounted for 77% of deaths among radio-tracked marsh rabbits released into the park, underscoring the snakes’ dramatic impact on native wildlife.
Ongoing Removal Efforts
Removal efforts continue year-round. The FWC permits python removal on designated public lands throughout the year, and contracted removal programs operate across South Florida to reduce python numbers beyond the annual contest.
What This Means: While the Python Challenge produces headline-grabbing results, experts emphasize that long-term, coordinated removal and monitoring remain critical to protect Everglades ecosystems.
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