Story perspectives

Python Hunt Film Debuts, Showcases Florida’s Snake Crisis

5/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Python Hunt premiered in theaters on May 8, 2026, depicting the Florida Python Challenge.
It follows guide Toby Benoit, retiree Anne Stratton Hilts, hunter Jimbo McCartney and participants hunting Burmese pythons.
Estimates place the Burmese python population at 50,000-500,000, with scientists reporting 90% of mammals have vanished.
Benoit fulfills his promise to Anne by catching a python despite bites, in a film scored by Nick León that emphasizes night-time hunts.

History

Historical Context

Burmese pythons entered the Everglades in the late 1990s after Hurricane Andrew; pet-trade imports peaked before a 2012 ban, and researchers estimate a population between 30,000 and 300,000, prompting removal programs like the 2013 Florida Python Challenge and nightly culls by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The 2025 documentary *The Python Hunt*, released May 2026, dramatizes these battles.

1 of 2

Story summary

The Python Hunt premiered in theaters on May 8, 2026, depicting the Florida Python Challenge.
It follows guide Toby Benoit, retiree Anne Stratton Hilts, hunter Jimbo McCartney and participants hunting Burmese pythons.
Estimates place the Burmese python population at 50,000-500,000, with scientists reporting 90% of mammals have vanished.
Benoit fulfills his promise to Anne by catching a python despite bites, in a film scored by Nick León that emphasizes night-time hunts.

1 / 2