WILDLIFE

The alligator was released back into the wild. No shoppers or employees were hurt during the encounter.

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.

Animal observing at a zoo or aquarium are popular activities for many, but some have decided to take it to a new level.

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.

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.

When pileated woodpeckers made a home in a utility pole in Atlantic Beach last year, their drilling damaged the pole to the point it had to be replaced. But when lineworkers put in the new pole, they were careful to preserve the home of the woodpeckers, which are a protected species.

Though it’s only July, the total number of Florida manatee deaths in 2021 has already reached a higher total than it did in all of 2020, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – At least 20 Florida panthers have died in 2020, a toll that appears to be on track to finish lower than in previous years. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that almost all of the panther deaths were caused by people. We don’t want to make too much of it yet, but it certainly gets our attention,” Onorato told the newspaper. Florida panthers are the only puma still roaming east of the Mississippi River. Advocates are fighting a proposed toll road expansion, which could bring a new highway near panther habitat.

DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Authorities say a 10-foot Burmese python was removed from under the hood of a car in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a tweet Thursday that the snake was coiled up inside the engine compartment of a Ford Mustang in Dania Beach, which is adjacent to Fort Lauderdale. “Our officers responded and safely captured and removed the approximately 10-foot invasive snake,” the tweet said. The largest python captured so far in South Florida was more than 18 feet long. It wasn't immediately clear what became of the python found inside the Mustang.

After reading this, you might want to go check and make sure your garage door is closed. When you leave your garage open in Florida, you never know what might crawl in. A North Port resident found a 7-foot alligator hiding in their garage alongside the driver’s side of their car, according to the North Port Police Department. According to the police department’s Facebook post, the confused gator was relocated to a nearby canal. See ya later, alligator!

Cane toads ooze a milky, toxic substance called bufotoxin, which is deadly to cats and dogs if they bite, sniff or lick the giant toads. The toxin is also dangerous for humans, and people should wear gloves and protective gear when disposing of the toads, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Cane toads are native to South and Central America and first brought to Florida to manage pests in sugar cane fields in the 1930s, according to the University of Florida. Now cane toads are reported in Central and South Florida, usually south of the I-4 corridor. Click on the icons below to see reported cane toad sightings in Florida.