Florida restaurant trades dead pythons for pizza in Everglades City

Wildman's Pizza in Everglades City, Florida, offered a large specialty pizza to anyone who delivered a humanely killed Burmese python during the state‑run Florida Python Challenge. The incentive coincided with a $25,000 prize pool for participants who removed invasive snakes.

The competition, which closed on July 19, drew nearly 1,000 entrants from 30 U.S. states and Canada. Contract hunter Taylor Stanberry of Naples set a record by catching 60 pythons in ten days, becoming the first overall female winner.

The restaurant repurposes the snakes: fat is turned into skin oils, creams and soap, while bones are kept for accessories. State wildlife authorities estimate that 100,000‑300,000 Burmese pythons now inhabit Florida’s ecosystems, threatening native birds, mammals and reptiles.