The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Monday launched a new program to encourage people to help remove pythons from the Everglades and surrounding area.
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Called the "Python Pickup Program," it's is designed to encourage the public to pythons by rewarding participants with prizes.
People who remove pythons need to submit photographic evidence of the snake as well as the location where it was removed.
Anyone who submits this information will receive a free python pickup t-shirt for submitting their first entry.
For every submission received, participants will be entered into a monthly prize drawing along with a grand prize drawing to be held next year.
Monthly prizes include:
- Snake hooks
- Custom engraved Yeti tumblers
- Plano sportsman’s trunks
- GoPro cameras
- Badlands backpacks
- The grand prize is a Florida Lifetime Sportsman’s License
The first drawing will take place in May 2017.
As part of the program, people can submit pythons removed from any property in Florida where they have been authorized to do so from the property owner or land manager.
FWC said a recent executive order allows people to remove pythons year round from 22 public lands with no hunting license or wildlife management area permit required.
People can also help with efforts to manage Burmese pythons and other nonnative species by reporting sightings to the FWC’s Exotic Species Reporting Hotline at 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681), online at IveGot1.org or by downloading the free “IveGot1” smartphone app.
