VIDEO – Florida Teen Removes 28 Invasive Pythons, Winning $10K: ‘God Was on My Side’

A young man named Matthew Concepcion caught 28 Burmese pythons and won $10,000 as part of an annual competition in Florida.

Approximately 1,000 participants from 32 states, Canada, and Latvia joined forces to remove the snakes from South Florida during this year’s Florida Python Challenge, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a press release October 20.

Over 200 of the invasive creatures were removed during the event that highlights invasive species and the threats they pose to the state.

Concepcion won the Ultimate Grand Prize thanks to the Bergeron Everglades Foundation, the agency said.

“Once again, the Florida Python Challenge® has yielded impressive results with hundreds of invasive pythons being removed from the wild,” Governor Ron DeSantis (R) stated, adding that “Removing these snakes is one of the many efforts we are employing to restore and maintain the Everglades ecosystem.”

In a social media post, the commission said of the top five winners, novice Jeffrey Lince captured the longest python that measured nine feet:

Nineteen-year-old Concepcion told NewsNation he loves Florida and the everglades and wants to protect it by removing the snakes.

When it came to catching 28 snakes, the young man said “God was on my side. I put in the long hours and trekked through the swamp,” adding he leaves all native snakes alone:

When caught, Concepcion said the snakes “Freak out” and “try and get you back.” But once caught, he kills them and either throws them away or keeps the skin for tanning.

Video footage showed Concepcion showing off his snake skins and describing what it is like to hunt the creatures:

Thanks to solid partnerships, the hunters’ dedication, and the leadership of DeSantis, the python removal proved to be a success, according to FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

“Every one of the pythons removed as part of the Challenge is one less preying on our native birds, mammals and reptiles. This is a win for the Everglades and a win for the people of Florida,” he said.