Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (2024)

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (1)

Tom Rahill, founder of the python-catching organization Swamp Apes, holds up a snake for the camera.

CNN

For the animals and plants native to the Florida Everglades, the removal of invasive species like theBurmese pythonis a tough job that someone’s got to do. But for many military veterans who help out with the task, it has become an opportunity for a kind of therapy in the wild.

Each August, the Florida Python Challenge invites ordinary participants coming from all overto catch and humanely euthanize the rapidly repopulating reptiles introduced to the US via pet trade because they endanger the Everglades by feasting on native wildlife such as American alligators, marsh rabbits and white-tailed deer.

The first Burmese pythons were spotted in the sunshine state in 1979, according to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and they have been posing a threat to the environment ever since.

Hunters are swarming the Florida Everglades to take part in the python challenge. Courtesy Amy Siewe Related article Hunters are swarming the Florida Everglades for the annual python challenge. The state says it’s vital to save the ecosystem

All it takes to register for the challenge is a $25 fee and completion of an online training course, which focuses on how to identify the pythons and what the accepted killing methods are.

Then, it’s open season.

This year’s challenge begins Friday at midnight and will end August 18 at 5 p.m. Going into the weekend, there were 729 competitors who had registered, challenge spokesperson Lisa Thompson told CNN.

The contest has three categories: professional, novice and military. The competitor who wrangles the most pythons out of the overall competition wins $10,000.

Details about the 2024 competition were announced by Florida officials in May, citing the state’s “unwavering dedication to Everglades restoration.”

Since the competition’s 2013 launch by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Thompson said, contestants have removed 917 pythons.

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (3)

A python, caught by a volunteer. The species has posed a threat to the Everglades for decades.

Participants can be subject to disqualification for inhumanely killing a python or for removing a native snake, says the official website. The humane way includes “pithing,” a method of destroying the snake’s brain, so the animal doesn’t suffer, in contrast to alternatives such as shooting it with a firearm.

Many participants may enjoy hanging out with apex predators, but for some, it can go a bit deeper than just the thrill.

Stars, stripes and… snakes?

Nobody prepares for the competition quite like the group behind Swamp Apes, a non-profit founded by Floridian Tom Rahill and supported by state agencies. The organization encourages “python-ing,” or the act of removing pythons, among other nature initiatives to serve veterans as they re-connect with the world around them.

Rahill and another Swamp Apes member, retired Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Aycock, are year-round “python contractors,” also with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and are currently defending titleholders in their respective categories for the challenge: longest python in the professional category for Rahill and runner-up for most pythons caught in the military category for Aycock.

The non-profit uses the challenge to help promote its mission and recruit veterans to be hired removing pythons all year long as contractors. Wrangling the up to 19-foot snakes is also a form of “therapy” for the veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries, disabilities or difficulties returning to a civilian lifestyle.

Tom Rahill, left, founder of the python-catching organization Swamp Apes, holds a snake at the base of its head.

“(Many veterans) feel they can’t contribute to society (when they return home),” Aycock told CNN. “And that’s unfortunately what leads a lot of them down the path to suicide, and so for us to be able to get them out there, get them thinking right, get those endorphins flowing, get that brain working again, making them sweat a little bit… get them out there busting the swamp and getting dirty… It brings them back.”

While Rahill isn’t a veteran, he is a lifelong wilderness lover and he started thinking of ways he could benefit those who had gone through multiple deployments as he listened to the experiences of his relatives during their tours in Iraq, met other veterans and dealt with the painful absence of his wife as she taught in Arkansas.

“I believe the Lord put it in my head that, ‘Look, you’re not thinking about your wife and your grief for missing her at 2, 3, or 4 in the morning while you’ve got a 10-foot Python wrapped around your arm,’” Rahill said.

He officially founded Swamp Apes in 2017.

Aycock says the act of “python-ing” is a “great way to relieve day to day stress” while simultaneously giving him a paramilitary mission to achieve post-duty.

Rahill agrees.

“(Veterans are) able to utilize their military skills in catching the pythons and in addition to which, it helps them to get a sense of self again; a sense of self-pride,” Rahill said, calling the program a “win-win.”

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (5)

Aycock and soldier Joe Detre holding a 14-foot python captured by Aycock.

Aycock encourages recruits to “get your hands wrapped around a python and forget about your cares and worries,” adding that some of them appear to be “withdrawn” until they get the prized python in their arms. Once that happens, Aycock says, he sees many “ear to ear” grins.

Members of Swamp Apes come from all over the country and Rahill notes women veterans are welcome as well.

A whole way of life

In addition to wrangling the snakes, many python enthusiasts have the “side hustle” of tanning python skin into hides which can be turned into belts, shoes, wallets and more. It’s something Rahill plans to do more as he gets older in his barn in Lutz, Florida.

Aycock “didn’t have time to deal with the (python) carcasses” when he was on active duty but now, he can sell them for a set amount per foot.

“I’m of the old philosophy – I don’t kill anything if I’m not going to eat it,” Aycock said. “Obviously, I’m not eating pythons (so) I kind of had to change my philosophy a little bit for this invasive species but whatever we can do to utilize that hide and make things and bring public awareness about this problem that’s down here.”

He added, “I’d be more than happy if all the pythons disappeared tomorrow. And we didn’t have to do this again and we could go concentrate on iguanas or whatever the next invasive is… But somebody’s got to do it, and we like to do it.”

As for the annual challenge, the two men will have to prepare mentally and physically. Preparation involves days spent loading up on water and focusing on hydration in advance to brave the hot Florida weather and being equipped with the proper clothing, gear, gloves and snake boots. The duo says the best time to remove pythons is in the middle of the night when the pythons are the most active.

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (6)

Aycock (left) says his adventures "python-ing" with Swamp Apes while on active duty in Homestead, Florida gave gives him a sense of peace "I'm not thinking about how crazy the day was. I'm not thinking about the meetings that I had to do the next day."

Rahill will be there for the entirety of the competition, he said, noting the importance of promoting the Swamp Apes. But he, of course, will be a competitor and still hopes to catch plenty of snakes.

“It’s like your birthday every time you see a snake… It’s like your birthday and Hanukkah and Christmas and New Year’s and Fourth of July,” Rahill told CNN, calling the pythons “beautiful animals once you get past the fear of the snake.”

Python contractors like Rahill and Aycock pick up the cold-blooded creatures year-round, but the challenge provides a chance for their community to “get together” and “share stories” and “tips of the trade,” while still putting the ecosystem first.

Rahill hopes to catch a particular snake with a head the “size of a football” that evaded him nearly eight years ago as it raced far out into the sawgrass with Rahill on its back, costing him a pair of Oakley sunglasses.

“There’s a snake somewhere on a levee or out on a tree island wearing my Oakleys and I want them back,” Rahill said. “So, that’s the goal.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the year Swamp Apes was founded. It was 2017.

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN (2024)

FAQs

Veterans use Florida’s annual Python Challenge as opportunity to heal from time in service | CNN? ›

For the animals and plants native to the Florida Everglades, the removal of invasive species like the Burmese python is a tough job that someone's got to do. But for many military veterans who help out with the task, it has become an opportunity for a kind of therapy in the wild.

What is the Python challenge in Florida? ›

9, the 2024 Florida Python Challenge™ kicks off, with competitors searching the Everglades to find and remove invasive Burmese pythons. Hundreds of people have registered for their chance to win up to $10,000 in prizes while working to protect Florida's native wildlife and our incredible Everglades ecosystem.

Does Florida pay for python removal? ›

There is no bag limit. The FWC does not offer compensation for pythons except to contracted members of the PATRIC Program and winners during the Florida Python Challenge®.

What does Florida do with the pythons they catch? ›

As the pythons are a regulated species, they cannot be transported alive. Florida's python agents are trained to kill the reptiles using a bolt gun. The programme, which was launched in 2017, has captured and euthanised 7,330 pythons so far.

Does Florida still pay a bounty for pythons? ›

there isn't a traditional bounty system in place for hunting pythons in Florida. However, Florida has implemented programs and events that encourage the removal of invasive Burmese pythons from the ecosystem. These programs often include incentives and rewards for hunters who successfully capture and remove pythons.

What is the reward for getting the pythons in Florida? ›

All prizes will be given by the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida and will be announced via an awards ceremony. The participant who removes the most pythons will be awarded an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000.

How serious is the python problem in Florida? ›

Invasive impact. Burmese pythons in the state of Florida are classified as an invasive species. They disrupt the ecosystem by preying on native species, outcompeting native species for food or other resources, and/or disrupting the physical nature of the environment.

Is python meat edible? ›

Natusch himself also has sampled python barbecued, slow-cooked, sauteed and as curry and jerky. He described it as a white meat with the texture of calamari with a taste he likens to chicken.

How are captured pythons euthanized? ›

After rendering the reptile unconscious, ensure the animal's brain is destroyed by “pithing”. Insert a small rod (a rigid metal tool like a screwdriver, spike or pick) into the cranial cavity using deliberate, multi-directional movement, ensuring destruction of the entire brain.

How many pythons are caught in Florida each year since? ›

Bar chart from 2000-2023, showing that prior to 2017, the number of pythons removed per year was, at best, around 600, but usually only a few hundred. However, once FWC's PATRIC and SFWMD's PEM programs started the numbers increased to ~1,600 to ~3,000 per year from 2017 through October of 2023.

Why don't they just shoot the pythons in the Everglades? ›

Traps or firearms cannot be used to kill pythons unless specific area regulations allow it. The conservation commission's Executive order 23-16 allows for the public to humanely kill pythons and other nonnative reptiles without a permit or hunting license as long as area regulations are followed.

What eats pythons in Florida? ›

FWC: In Florida, smaller pythons like hatchlings and juveniles are more susceptible than adults to become prey of native birds or mammals. Because of their large size, adult Burmese pythons have few predators, with humans being the exception. They prey upon native species and may reduce their populations locally.

Do python snakes bite? ›

They are fairly docile, but may bite you for one reason or another. Ball pythons are not venomous and don't have fangs, so a bite may not be as severe as other snake bites. Always use caution if you're bitten by a ball python, and seek medical treatment. Ball pythons are also known as royal pythons.

How much do hunters get for pythons in Florida? ›

Contractors are paid hourly – $13 or $18, depending on the area – for removal efforts. Additionally, freelancers earn $50 for each python up to 4 feet long, plus $25 for each additional foot. They also receive $200 per nest removal field-verified by FWC. Online applications are accepted year-round.

Can you shoot pythons in Florida? ›

Burmese pythons are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty law. There is an ethical and legal obligation to ensure a Burmese python is killed in a humane manner.

Can you use a gun to hunt pythons in Florida? ›

Can I use a gun to kill snakes during the Florida Python Challenge? No. There is no established firearm season during the time of the event. The use of firearms is prohibited.

How long does the Florida Python Challenge last? ›

The Florida Python Challenge is an exciting conservation effort which helps protect the rare Everglades habitat and the animals that live there from these invasive, nonnative snakes. Learn more about opportunities to remove pythons year-round outside of the ten-day Florida Python Challenge.

How many pythons are captured in Florida every year? ›

Bar chart from 2000-2023, showing that prior to 2017, the number of pythons removed per year was, at best, around 600, but usually only a few hundred. However, once FWC's PATRIC and SFWMD's PEM programs started the numbers increased to ~1,600 to ~3,000 per year from 2017 through October of 2023.

What python is taking over Florida? ›

The Burmese python is a large nonvenomous constrictor that is an invasive species in Florida. Burmese pythons are found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in south Florida where the snake represents a threat to native wildlife. The FWC works with partners to manage Burmese pythons in a variety of ways.

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