Catch a giant snake, get a free pizza: Florida restaurant is handing out free python pizza during the state's $10,000 snake hunt

A Florida restaurant is serving up one of the country's most unusual food promotions, offering a free python pizza to participants who capture an invasive Burmese python during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge.

The giveaway, launched by Wildman's Pizza in Everglades City, is aimed at supporting efforts to remove the invasive reptiles from the Everglades, where they have caused widespread harm to native wildlife. While the restaurant cannot legally sell pizza made with python meat, it is allowed to offer it free of charge under current food regulations.

The campaign has quickly drawn attention for turning one of Florida's biggest environmental problems into a unique conservation initiative.


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Florida restaurant offers free python pizza during annual challenge

Wildman's Pizza announced that anyone who brings in a qualifying Burmese python caught during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge will receive a complimentary python pizza.

The restaurant says the promotion is about more than offering a free meal. Its goal is to encourage more people to take part in efforts to remove the invasive snakes while raising awareness about the damage they have caused across South Florida.

Because of food safety regulations, the restaurant cannot commercially sell python pizza. Instead, it prepares the specialty pizzas only as a free reward for eligible participants.

Florida Python Challenge offers prizes of up to $10,000

The promotion coincides with the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, which runs from July 10 to July 19.

Organized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and its conservation partners, the annual competition encourages the public to help reduce the growing population of invasive Burmese pythons in the Everglades.

Participants must:

• Register for the challenge
• Complete an online training course
• Follow state guidelines for the humane capture and euthanasia of Burmese pythons

The competition offers cash prizes of up to $10,000 for participants who remove the most snakes or capture particularly large pythons.

Why Burmese pythons are a major threat in Florida

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia but became established in Florida after escaped or intentionally released pet snakes began breeding in the wild decades ago. With few natural predators in the Everglades, the snakes have spread rapidly across South Florida.

Wildlife experts say the reptiles prey on numerous native species, including:

• Raccoons
• Rabbits
• Opossums
• Foxes
• Birds
• Young alligators

Researchers have linked the invasive snakes to dramatic declines in several mammal populations throughout the Everglades, making them one of Florida's most destructive invasive species.

Restaurant says every part of the snake is used

Wildman's Pizza says the promotion also focuses on reducing waste. While the python meat is used to prepare the complimentary pizzas, other parts of the snake are repurposed instead of being discarded.

According to the restaurant:

• Python fat is processed into oils and soaps.
• Bones are turned into jewelry and decorative items.

The restaurant says using every part of the snake reinforces the conservation message behind the campaign while promoting sustainable practices.

(With TOI inputs)