Hunters Vie for $25,000 in Prizes to Protect Florida's Ecosystem The 2025 Florida Python Challenge™ officially began today, with hundreds of registered participants already scouring the Everglades in a crucial effort to remove invasive Burmese pythons.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski criticized the remote location of the detention site called "Alligator Alcatraz" and the rhetoric surrounding it.

The race is on to protect Florida’s native wildlife by killing as many Burmese pythons as possible – and potentially bring home a share of $25,000.

While not everyone saw rain, everyone will be feeling the heat as "feels like" temperatures climb to the triple digits when the humidity is factored in. Heat index values will range between 100 to 105 across South Florida, so make sure to hydrate often and take frequent AC breaks if spending time outdoors.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the American flamingo is one of the largest species of flamingo and averages some 5 feet tall. A survey conducted in 2024, spotted around 100 American flamingos in the wild around the Sunshine State.

One of the largest flocks of flamingos in a decade was recently spotted in the Everglades by avian ecologist and restoration scientist Mark Cook.

Florida Python Challenge begins July 11, bringing hunters to the Everglades to remove invasive Burmese pythons that threaten native wildlife in south Florida's ecosystem.

Miami-Dade County Mayor wants monitoring authority over Florida's new Everglades immigrant detention center