The discovery helped the Naples resident land first place in the 2025 Florida Python Challenge, which drew 934 hunters competing to make a dent in the state's invasive Burmese python population, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Aug. 13.

The 2025 Florida Python Challenge featured 934 participants from 30 states and Canada, who removed 294 invasive Burmese pythons from South Florida, including Everglades National Park. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say more than 16,