Everglades City, Florida — A small pizza restaurant in South Florida is attracting national attention with an offer unlike any other: bring in a recently captured Burmese python, and you’ll receive a free large specialty pizza in return.
The unusual promotion comes as Florida continues its battle against one of the country’s most destructive invasive species, with hunters removing thousands of Burmese pythons from the Everglades each year.
Restaurant owner Dustin Crum, who operates Wildman’s Pizza, Pasta and Python in Everglades City, says the idea combines local conservation efforts with a creative business promotion.
Dead Pythons Become Currency for Pizza
Crum describes himself as both a business owner and an experienced python hunter.
Instead of accepting only cash or credit cards, he has begun accepting recently and humanely dispatched Burmese pythons as payment for a free large specialty pizza.
“I’m the first place in the world to accept python as currency,” Crum said.
The promotion coincides with Florida’s annual Python Challenge, a statewide competition that encourages licensed participants to remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades for cash prizes.
The event is designed to help reduce the rapidly growing snake population while raising public awareness about the environmental damage the reptiles cause.
Why the Restaurant Wants the Snakes
According to Crum, the unusual exchange benefits both customers and his business.
Hunters who successfully remove pythons receive a free meal, while the restaurant owner repurposes nearly every part of the snake.
“You can trade in a python for a pizza,” Crum said.
He explained that the reptiles are used to create a variety of products, including skin creams, soaps, oils and handmade jewelry crafted from the snakes’ bones.
“The fat I use to make the snake oils for the skin, creams, soap,” Crum said. “The bones we make jewelry from, everything gets used.”
Although Crum also prepares python meat for personal use and educational demonstrations, regulations prevent him from selling it commercially because it is not processed by a licensed butcher.
Florida’s Python Problem Continues to Grow
The promotion also highlights a much larger environmental issue affecting South Florida.
Burmese pythons, which are native to Southeast Asia, became established in the Florida Everglades decades ago after being introduced through the exotic pet trade.
Since then, the population has expanded dramatically.
Wildlife experts estimate there may now be as many as 300,000 Burmese pythons living across parts of Florida.
The giant constrictors, which can grow more than 20 feet long, prey on native mammals, birds and reptiles, disrupting ecosystems and competing with local wildlife for food.
Female pythons can also lay up to 70 eggs at a time, making the species especially difficult to control.
Promotion Brings Attention to Conservation Efforts
While the free-pizza promotion has generated plenty of curiosity online, Crum says he hopes it also encourages more people to participate in efforts to remove invasive pythons from Florida’s wetlands.
For local hunters, the exchange offers an extra reward after spending long hours searching the Everglades.
For conservation officials, every invasive python removed represents another step toward protecting Florida’s native wildlife from one of the world’s most challenging invasive species problems.
Would you trade a dead python for a free pizza, or is this one promotion you’d rather skip? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
