ANIMALS

Monday is National Alligator Day!

Florida is one of the richest states when it comes to paleontology, and new discoveries are being made every day.

The incredibly popular python hunt is returning to Florida in August, and hunters who want to accept the challenge of removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild can register now.

Meteorologist Katie Garner got a chance to go out with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to see the issues they deal with firsthand on the St. Johns River.

Friday is the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. An estimated 291 species have been saved from extinction since the law was signed in 1973. To date, the law has saved more than 99% of species under its protection.

One of two endangered tortoises is back at a popular St. Augustine attraction after being stolen late last year. Two men have been arrested in connection with the theft of the reptiles.

Do you have a pet that was rescued from a bad situation, and now has the life it deserves thanks to your love, sacrifice and devotion?

Sea turtle nesting season began Monday, and turtles are expected to bury their eggs in nests up and down the Northeast Florida coast until October.

Given its jumping ability, you would think the deer would make one awesome outside hitter!

This took place earlier this year and is part of a series where we are looking back at most-watched viral videos.

If you've lived in Florida long enough, you know that critters are just part of the equation. From raccoons and birds of all kinds to gopher tortoises, gators and bats. Living in the Sunshine State means sharing our habitat.

It's spring, and that means black bears in Florida will be more active, including moms and their cubs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some advice to help you avoid bear conflicts.

A mama bear was trying to get four cubs across a two-lane road in Connecticut, and what transpired will give you all the feels.

Kelly Garrahan, a resident of Titusville, found a creature with oddly shaped head and tail in her yard, which started disrupting her farm animals.

It appears a group of husky puppies was enjoying the cold temperatures so much on Tuesday that they just had to escape their home and explore the outdoors.

Three animal advocacy groups in Jacksonville are asking the community for help as the annual "kitten season" approaches. They're sharing information about what you should do, and what to avoid, to best help out.

Florida Sen. Lauren Book filed a bill intended to protect animals, and the legislation included a proposal that would make it illegal to let a dog stick its head out of a window of a moving car. But after getting feedback on that proposal, Book reportedly plans to amend the bill and remove that ban from the legislation.

Alligator safety is the focus of a statewide meeting being held this week in Jacksonville.

A new Florida bill would make it illegal to let a dog be in a driver’s lap or stick their head out of a window of a moving car.

A plane came down in a cow pasture and then flipped onto its roof Wednesday morning, Clay County Fire Rescue said.

Bars in Tampa and Orlando are challenging the Florida Department of Health over decisions to block dogs from being in the establishments.

An exercise rider at a Florida horse track has died in a training accident.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission performed a necropsy on a whale that washed ashore at Hanna Park in Jacksonville, but the report does not reveal to researchers how the whale died.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a whale washed up Wednesday morning on the beach at Hanna Park.

An Orange County pet store has been ordered to pay $85,000 to consumers after the Florida attorney general’s office said customers were deceived and sold sick or dying puppies, News4JAX sister station WKMG-TV News 6 reports.

Federal officials say the fading North Atlantic right whale will remain protected under the Endangered Species Act and requires a series of protective steps to stave off extinction.

This year, News4JAX has been following white squirrel sightings in the Jacksonville area.

From white squirrels and poisoned puppies to a Jacksonville serial killer and local entrepreneurs, our News4JAX.com team worked hard this year to showcase a variety of special content for our online audience.

The 35-year-old zookeeper who was “viciously” attacked Wednesday by a 5-year-old North American black bear at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens suffered many lacerations on her head, back and thighs, according to a police report obtained Thursday by News4JAX.

A 5-year-old North American black bear that escaped an exhibit behind the scenes at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Wednesday evening and “engaged” with a zookeeper was fatally shot by the zoo’s lethal weapons team, officials said.

Tis’ the season of giving but to scammers it’s all about taking, and nothing is off limits.

Along Florida’s East Coast, threatened manatees that are facing starvation are fed through an unprecedented program started last year.

At least 13 bald eagles were likely poisoned by scavenging the carcasses of euthanized animals that were improperly disposed of at a Minnesota landfill and three of the majestic birds have died.

The Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS) and Best Friends Animal Society, a leading national animal welfare organization working to save the lives of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, are teaming up for another adoption campaign to encourage people to adopt a new best friend.

Clay County Animal Services is teaming up with Dr. Seuss Enterprises and the Petfinder Foundation this holiday season to help long-term shelter dogs in Clay County find their forever homes.

Multiple people on social media have been sharing photos and videos saying they’ve seen coyotes roaming near homes in northern St. Johns County in recent weeks.

Three adult male manatees rescued from waters in the Florida Keys earlier this year have been returned to a Keys canal after being treated and rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando.

A man is charged with animal cruelty in connection with the death of a cat in the Springfield neighborhood, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

The city of Jacksonville’s Animal Care and Protective Services will host a free dog adoption event Saturday at the Legends Center.

Jacksonville firefighters rescued two dogs from a house fire Wednesday morning in the city’s Sandalwood neighborhood, officials said.

Pet owners in the Springfield area who were already on edge following the recent disappearance of multiple cats are even more on edge after an incident involving a family cat was caught on video.

Bats serve a purpose in Florida's ecosystem, so there are certain times of the year when Florida residents aren't allowed to disturb them. But bat maternity season is over and now is the time to bat proof your home, state wildlife officials say.

Thursday — Oct. 17 — is National Black Cat Day!

The Jacksonville Humane Society is partnering with two area businesses, VyStar Credit Union and Subaru of Jacksonville, to offer free pet adoptions on Friday and Saturday.

Households earning less than $70,000 annually can qualify for low-cost, or in some cases no-cost, spay and neuter surgery and free rabies vaccinations for their family dogs, according to a release.

It has been a historic sea turtle season in Mayport.

The Jacksonville Humane Society and Animal Care and Protective Services are teaming up to offer a free adoption event this fall.

Sunken Gardens, a botanical garden located in St. Petersburg, tweeted out a photo of a group of flamingos hanging out in a bathroom while riding out Hurricane Ian.

Who doesn’t love the zoo, right?

Baby squirrels were rescued Wednesday in Ponte Vedra.

A shark attacked and killed a U.S. cruise ship passenger who was snorkeling in waters around the Bahamas on Tuesday, according to authorities.

What began as an attempt to execute a domestic battery warrant quickly turned into an investigation into suspected dog fighting, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

They really mean it when they say dogs are our best friends.

It's an increasingly familiar sight in U.S. cities and suburbs: workers in gloves and masks, spraying yards for mosquitoes.

A feral cat from the central Cate Road area near Brunswick has tested positive for rabies, the Glynn County Health Department said Wednesday.

Scientists and students embarking on a census of Georgia lake sturgeon have found three females with mature eggs — an indication the armored “living fossils” may be reproducing in that state for the first time in a half-century.

Zachary, a 9-year-old, 5-foot American alligator, has a new home after his owner -- who surprisingly is not a "Florida man" -- turned over the reptile to authorities last week.

It was quite a discovery in tropical waters to bring in a Greenland shark, which can live for more than 500 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A man who was severely injured in the waters off Jacksonville Beach on Saturday might have been bitten by a shark, lifeguards told News4JAX.

A local couple and their daughter witnessed a miracle of nature last weekend when they were on South Ponte Vedra Beach during the hatching of a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle nest.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department has added therapy dogs, providing another way to help firefighters and dispatchers deal with the emotional trauma that can come with being a first responder.

K9s United Vice President Jay Nix said a new Florida law that the nonprofit helped pass allows first responders to take immediate action when a police dog is injured. That quick action Friday likely saved the life of Jacksonville Sheriff's Office K-9 Huk after he was shot in the line of duty.

Fishing from the Jacksonville Beach pier has resumed after a three-year construction project, but there are several new rules in place for now.

Florida’s Turnpike was shut down Monday in Central Florida as dozens of loose cows were “moo-ved” out of the roadway.

A TikTok challenge encouraging people to dig massive holes on beaches can be dangerous to sea turtles, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

A St. Johns County deputy rescued a baby deer that fell into a 15-foot pit last week.

A deputy and an animal control officer rescued an owl stuck in the grille of a car, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.

A beloved pet cat that’s been dodging airport and airline personnel as well as animal experts since escaping from a pet carrier at Boston’s Logan International Airport about three weeks ago has finally been caught.

Doctors at a 24-hour animal critical care center in Jacksonville say they’re seeing an increase in the number of dogs suffering from heat stroke coming into the emergency room.

A Jacksonville-based nonprofit is on a mission to protect K9 officers, and you can help support that mission on the road -- literally.

This isn't who you'd want to see lurking outside your home. 😬

About 6,000 bees were recently removed from inside the walls of an Omaha couple's 100-year-old home.

A dog in Florida was attacked by an alligator, dragged into the water and eaten earlier this month.

Registration for the 2022 Florida Python Challenge is open. The annual 10-day event will be held Aug. 5-14, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday.

After a record number of manatee deaths mostly linked to malnutrition, state and federal wildlife officials hope to double rescue and rehabilitation capacity before the sea cows again congregate in warm waters during the winter.

Columbia County K9 Drago died Tuesday after suffering a "heat-related injury" during a training exercise, the Sheriff's Office said.

We’re entering the hottest week so far this year, meaning pet owners need to keep a sharp eye on their fur-babies.

Police say a man found dead in a Florida lake while searching for Frisbees and other flying discs was missing three limbs after a likely encounter with alligators.

A loggerhead turtle is rehabbing at Zoo Miami’s new Sea Turtle Hospital after a shark bit off most of her left fin.

A man looking for Frisbees in a Florida lake on Tuesday was killed by an alligator, according to authorities and media reports.

A Jacksonville police officer rescued a dozen and a half orphan ducklings earlier this week.

Wildlife officials working to prevent Florida manatees from starving to death say they’re encouraged that some of the marine mammals’ favorite food is growing naturally in a key area.

The cafeteria at Duval County’s Cedar Hills Elementary School was shut down as maintenance staff and exterminators work to solve a rodent infestation at the campus.

Save the Manatee Club is a proud partner of National Safe Boating Week, which runs from May 21-27, 2022 and promotes recreational boating safety.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission annually hosts a Lionfish Challenge to encourage anglers to remove the invasive species from Florida waters by offering prizes for the most lionfish harvested.

A feral cat on the south end of St. Simons Island tested positive for rabies after acting aggressively toward a family dog on Tuesday, according to the Glynn County Health Department. The dog is up to date on rabies vaccinations and was taken to a local veterinarian for treatment.

The CDC says the number of tick-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, is increasing at a record pace.

Two teenagers got a bull shark from a stranger who caught it in Mayport last week and then they gutted it and stored the dead fish with ice overnight at a friend’s house before hoisting it from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School as a senior prank, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission obtained Wednesday by News4JAX.

Officials say a 13-year-old Malayan tiger named Bashir is adjusting to new surroundings after arriving at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens as part of a species survival plan.

PETA said it sent a letter to St. Johns County School District Superintendent Tim Forson on Tuesday offering lessons on kindness to animals after a dead shark was hung from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School last week.

With shorebird and seabird nesting season underway, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission thanks building owners for hosting species such as black skimmers, least terns, roseate terns and American oystercatchers that nest on their roofs from March through August.

Florida’s recreational and commercial stone crab season in state and federal waters will end on May 2, with the last day of harvest being May 1.

Dr. Phil Koehler has been studying mosquitos for 47 years as an entomologist. He retired from the University of Florida but still goes to work there every day to conduct research.

A local veterinarian described as “warm,” “friendly,” and “incredible” by clients was killed in a traffic collision Saturday, according to a social media post by the San Jose Beauclerc Animal Hospital in Jacksonville.

A baby zebra at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is dead after running full speed into a gate when it was spooked by two ostriches.

In your yard or a park, you probably see a squirrel at least once a day. But have you ever seen a white one? And just because it’s white doesn’t mean it’s albino.

They may be cute, but veterinarians are warning parents this Easter not to buy live bunny rabbits as presents for your kids.

If you’ve got a rod and reel, now is the time to fish them out of the closet -- the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s TrophyCatch program is in full swing for the 10th season.

You can help prevent potential negative interactions with bears and other wildlife by removing food attractants and following other BearWise practices.