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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida wildlife experts are warning locals in areas battered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton to avoid dark floodwaters for a hair-raising reason: alligators and snakes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wrote on X after Milton hit: “Some wildlife, such as alligators, snakes, and bears are more likely to be seen after a storm. She warned that alligators don’t want to be near people, but if someone tries to grab them, they will snap at them. Also ahead of Milton, the Florida Health department urged people to avoid floodwaters due to exposure to Vibrio, a flesh-eating bacteria commonly found in warm coastal waters. It stirred up colonies of yellow jackets in western North Carolina, likely due to their underground nests being destroyed from rain, flood water and toppled trees.

Persons: Milton, ” Rene Walker, “, ” Walker, Jen Messer, ”, Messer, ” Messer, ” Ron Magill, Keith March, We’ve, Walker, Hurricane Helene Organizations: Hurricanes, Hurricane Milton, Tampa Bay, NBC News, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, gator, Zoo Miami, and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Health Locations: PETERSBURG, Fla, — Florida, Hurricane, Tampa Bay, Tampa, Pascoe County, ”, Florida, Milton, North Carolina

☆ Video shows a stray alligator swimming near Florida's flooded streets after Hurricane Helene displaced it
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Hurricane Helene displaced alligators, turtles, and other wildlife in Florida. AdvertisementFlorida's alligators, turtles, and even sharks are finding themselves in new territory in the wake of Hurricane Helene. While people should be cautious, Claerbout said the FWC hasn't received any reports of alligator bites since Helene made landfall. However, ahead of Hurricane Helene, one Florida gator strolled around the Lakeland neighborhood, northeast of Tampa, and "got bold" enough to walk up to a house's front door, The Miami Herald reported. Alligators weren't the only wildlife affected by Hurricane Helene's floodsAfter Hurricane Helene, a manatee was stranded at MacDill Air Force Base, and the Fish and Wildlife rescuers helped relocate it.

Persons: —, Hurricane Helene, Commission's Lauren Claerbout, Ian, Shannon Stapleton, Claerbout, hasn't, Helene, Scott Tummond, Hurricane Harvey, Rick Wilking, University of Florida's Justin R, Dalaba, Frank J, Mazzotti, it's, Calerbout, Susannah Cogburn, NBC2, Cogburn, FWC Organizations: Service, Collier County Sheriff's, ABC, and, REUTERS, gators, University of Florida, gator, University of Florida's, Florida gator, Miami Herald, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida Fish, Water School, Florida Gulf Coast University Locations: Florida ., Hurricane, Collier County, San Marco, Southwest Florida, Florida, Punta Gorda , Florida, backyards, Taylor, Levy, Seadrift , Texas, Lakeland, Tampa, Park

☆ Florida man removes 20 Burmese pythons from Everglades, winning contest
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Gabriella Rudy | Gabriella Rudy Is A News Associate For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The annual Florida Python Challenge has slithered to its conclusion, with professionally-categorized python purger Ronald Kiger crowned its victor after removing 20 Burmese pythons from the Florida Everglades. The commission revealed 195 Burmese pythons were successfully removed from the wild during the challenge. The hunt is designed to bring awareness to the invasive threat of the Burmese python species in Florida. These snakes are found primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem in South Florida, where they prey on birds, mammals and other reptiles. Burmese pythons can spread diseases amongst native animals, affect native snakes and have high mercury levels that are dangerous for human consumption.

Persons: Ronald Kiger, Kiger, Donna Kalil, ”, Ron ” Bergeron Organizations: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Water Management District, Kiger, Florida Water Management Locations: Florida, Duck, Canada, South Florida

☆ Florida residents were shocked to see a manatee swimming in their human-made lake. A biologist thinks she knows how it got there.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewSouth Florida residents recently noticed an unusual new neighbor in their artificial lake: a manatee. Some Florida manatees travel through the ocean around the US, from Texas to as far north as Delaware. Experts have seen manatees in this area for the past few years, so the big visitor isn't totally unique. How to help your local, neighborhood manateeSometimes people can be a little overzealous in trying to help manatees, Howell said. AdvertisementIf Florida residents are concerned about a manatee who seems in distress, they can call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922, Howell said.

Persons: —, Bill Barnett, Amber Howell, Howell Organizations: Service, Pembroke Pines, WPLG, Business, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Thomson, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Florida, Pembroke, Riviera Beach, Thomson Reuters Florida, Texas, Delaware

☆ Florida shark attacks: Man in critical condition after shark bites his right forearm as he was boating off Florida coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Paradise Afshar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“Acting swiftly, a deputy boarded the vessel and applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding,” the sheriff’s office said. While he is in critical condition, he is expected to recover, the sheriff’s office said. “Yet shark bites still remain very rare,” the commission said. “Experts believe that most shark bites are cases of mistaken identity, which explains why nearly all shark bites that occur in Florida waters are of a bite-and-release nature,” the commission said. While the risk of being bitten by a shark is extremely low, Florida tops global charts for the number of shark bites, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual shark attack report.

Persons: “, Dee Dee Organizations: CNN, Nassau County Sheriff’s, Marine Unit, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “, Florida Museum, Natural, Florida - Locations: Nassau County, Dee Dee Bartels, Fernandina, Walton County , Florida, Florida, United States, Volusia County, Brevard, St, Lucie, Miami, Dade, Palm Beach, Escambia, Pinellas, Florida’s, Florida - Georgia

☆ A passenger had their flight ticket canceled after trying to smuggle a bag of snakes in their pants past TSA
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A passenger was caught with a bag of snakes in their pants at Miami International Airport. AdvertisementA passenger was caught trying to smuggle a bag of snakes onto a plane at Miami International Airport last month. Transportation Security Agency officials said officers detected the small bag "hidden in a passenger's pants" on April 26. Officers at @iflymia detected this bag of snakes hidden in a passenger’s pants at a checkpoint on Fri, April 26. pic.twitter.com/CggJob8IT8 — TSA_Gulf (@TSA_Gulf) April 30, 2024Upon discovering the reptiles at a security checkpoint, the TSA called in the police and Customs and Border Protection.

Persons: —, Oakley, @TSA, Kanitha, frontliners Organizations: Miami International Airport, Daily Mail, Service, Transportation Security Agency, Miami - Dade Police, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, TSA, Customs, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Guardian, Airlines, Protection Locations: Asia, Miami, Thailand, Southeast Asia, South Asia

☆ Florida braces for Haitian migrants influx, Gov. Ron DeSantis deploys military personnel
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis, a Republican, to deploy more than 250 law enforcement officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys to “protect our state” and stop a possible surge of Haitian migrants fleeing the violence. The deployment includes officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, and members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard. The US Coast Guard said Tuesday that it had repatriated 65 migrants to Haiti after they were picked up on a boat near the Bahamas. Since October 1, the Coast Guard said, it has repatriated 131 migrants to Haiti. The Coast Guard said it has not seen an increase in migrants from Haiti in recent weeks.

Persons: Eliantes Jean Jacques, Jean Jacques said, Prince, Jean Jacques, “ I’m, ”, “, Ron DeSantis, Tessa Petit, Petit, ” Petit, DeSantis, –, Gepsie Metellus, Sant, Guerinault Louis, Ariel Henry, Santo, Henry, Haiti’s, Jovenel Moïse, who’s, Dotie Joseph, ” CNN’s Caitlin Stephen Hu, David Culver, Evelio Contreras, Tara John, Carlos Suarez, Denise Royal Organizations: CNN, Gov, Republican, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Florida Department of Law, and Wildlife Conservation, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, US Coast Guard, Coast Guard, The Coast Guard, Haitian Neighborhood Center, Anadolu, Getty, Kenyan, Residents, United Nations, Democrat, North Locations: Haitian, Florida, Port, Haiti, North Miami, ”, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Santo Domingo

☆ Man rescued after apparent crocodile bite in the Everglades
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A man trying to swim to shore after his recreational sailboat capsized at Everglades National Park suffered an apparent bite from an American crocodile, according to a National Park Service news release. American crocodiles vs. alligatorsAn American crocodile relaxes in Shark Valley of Everglades National Park on February 3, 2023. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post/Getty Images/FileThe American crocodile is a federally threatened species, the NPS said, and it resembles the American alligator. (American crocodiles can also be found in some coastal areas of Caribbean islands, Mexico and South America.) American crocodiles are considered a shy and reclusive species, the FFWCC says, and crocodile attacks on humans in Florida are very rare.

Persons: Bonnie Jo Mount Organizations: CNN, National Park Service, Rangers, Miami, Dade, Rescue, “ Rangers, Washington Post, NPS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Locations: Flamingo, Florida, Valley, United States, Caribbean, Mexico, South America, Southeast, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Africa, Asia, Indonesia, Australia

VENICE, Fla. (AP) — A sperm whale that became famous after beaching itself on a sandbar along Florida's Gulf Coast died Monday, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement. Police and wildlife officials began trying to free the male whale from the shallow sandbar off the beach in Venice on Sunday morning. They had estimated it to be about 70 feet (21 meters) long. Biologists confirmed Monday that it was actually 44 feet (13 meters) long, the agency said. By Sunday evening, the whale suffered from labored breathing and died around 3 a.m. Monday.

Organizations: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Police, Associated Press Locations: VENICE, Fla, Coast, Venice, Tampa

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Workers from Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida have released 11 cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the Atlantic Ocean. The turtles were released earlier this week near Cape Canaveral after two months of rehabilitation, the aquarium said in a news release Thursday. They were part of a group of 16 turtles that arrived at the Tampa Bay area facility from the New England Aquarium in Massachusetts in December. Rehabilitation facilities in the Northeast frequently collaborate with other facilities to treat cold-stunned turtles. A total of 52 sea turtles were flown this past winter to Florida, where they were treated by Clearwater Marine Aquarium, as well as Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Aquarium and Loggerhead Marine Life Center.

Persons: Kemp’s ridley, ridley, Dr, Shelly Marquardt Organizations: —, Clearwater Marine, New, Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Marine Laboratory, Florida Aquarium, Life Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Clearwater, Florida, Cape Canaveral, Tampa Bay, Massachusetts, ”, Cape Cod

☆ Family of 85-year-old Florida woman, killed by an alligator while walking her dog, files wrongful death lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Brammhi Balarajan | Rebekah Riess | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The family of an 85-year-old woman who was killed by an alligator while walking her dog has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the real estate company that owns and operates the southeast Florida subdivision where the attack happened. Gloria Serge was walking her dog in February 2023 along a pond in the Spanish Lakes Fairways development in Fort Pierce when a 10-foot alligator attempted to take her dog, CNN previously reported. She was knocked over and the reptile grabbed Serge by the foot and dragged her into the pond, ultimately killing her. The alligator was later caught and euthanized, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wynne Building Corporation president Joel Wynne responded to the lawsuit saying, “We certainly understand the tragedy and the feelings of Mrs. Serge’s family.

Persons: Gloria Serge, Serge, Landy, Smith, “, Henry ’, Gary Lesser, Joshua D, Ferraro, PLLC, Gloria, ” Ferraro, Joel Wynne, Serge’s, ”, ” Wynne, Bill Serge Organizations: CNN, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Lesser, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “, Building, WPTV Locations: Florida, Spanish, Fort Pierce

LABELLE, Fla. (AP) — Two endangered Florida panthers have been struck and killed by vehicles, officials said. A 2-year-old male panther's remains were found Monday near the Spirit-of-the-Wild Wildlife Management Area in Hendry County, and a 3-year-old female panther was found dead a day later near the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area in Glades County, wildlife officials said. All 10 known panther deaths this year were caused by vehicle collisions, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Florida panthers once roamed the entire Southeast, but their habitat now is mostly confined to a small region of Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. Up to 230 Florida panthers remain in the wild.

Organizations: Florida panthers, Wild Wildlife Management, Management, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Locations: LABELLE, Fla, Hendry County, Glades County, Florida, of Mexico

☆ Florida Turtle Nests Are Doing Great. When They Hatch, Expect Mostly Girls.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Elizabeth Anne Brown | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Green sea turtles had an exceptional nesting season on Florida’s beaches in 2023, with volunteers counting more than 74,300 nests, according to preliminary data. That beats the previous record, from 2017, by a staggering 40 percent. “The increase is an explosion” and a welcome surprise, said Simona Ceriani, a research scientist who coordinated the annual survey for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the state agency that regulates and manages wildlife. Sea turtles don’t reach sexual maturity until their twenties or thirties, so what Florida is seeing now is very likely the result of conservation measures put in place after green sea turtles were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1978, Dr. Ceriani said. Those impressive nesting numbers are just “half the story,” according to Jeanette Wyneken, a professor at Florida Atlantic University who has studied nesting sea turtles for more than three decades.

Persons: Simona Ceriani, Ceriani, Jeanette Wyneken Organizations: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Atlantic University Locations: Florida

☆ What to do if you see an alligator and how to survive an attack, according to a wildlife expert who keeps pet gators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Graham Flanagan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

If an alligator bites you, don't try to pry its jaws open. But, in reality, alligators don't often attack humans. Alligators don't eat peopleAlligators have been lurking in Earth's waters for tens of millions of years. Don't try to run in a zig-zag pattern, as that'll just take you longer to go farther. Don't try to pry open the jaws.

☆ A nature videographer flying a drone spotted an endangered loggerhead sea turtle struggling in the red tide. He quickly alerted wildlife officials who showed up to save it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After he quickly alerted officials, the turtle was rescued and is still recovering at a rehab facility. The rehab facility confirmed the turtle had been exposed to red tide, a toxic algae bloom. Upon zooming in with his drone, it was obvious to McCarthy that the turtle needed help, and needed it fast. He knew the video would help him show that the turtle needed help. FWC notified Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which was located nearby and has a dedicated rescue and rehab facility for marine life.

☆ Alligator captured in Brooklyn's Prospect Park Lake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Members of the Parks Enforcement Patrol and Urban Park Rangers capture an alligator from a lake in Prospect Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., February 19, 2023. Courtesy of NYC Parks/Handout via REUTERSFeb 20 (Reuters) - New York City park staff stumbled across a sickly alligator in Brooklyn's Prospect Park this weekend, the Parks Department said, and rangers captured the lost reptile and brought it to the Bronx Zoo for care. Park maintenance staff found the alligator in Prospect Park Lake on Sunday morning, in the heart of the concrete jungle, and noted that it appeared lethargic and in a state of cold shock. The New York City Parks department issued a public warning against releasing non-native animals into the city's environment, which is illegal. New York City Urban Park Rangers respond to about 500 calls regarding animals in poor condition each year.

☆ Dozens of times drought, ice melt, and storm surge unearthed unusual and unsettling discoveries this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Among the unearthed finds are old sites, ancient artifacts, rare fossils, and even human remains. This summer, low water levels created an eerie boat graveyard of previously sunken ships and beached boats, the Associated Press reported. The manmade reservoir's plummeting water levels also revealed human remains on at least six occasions since May, The Guardian reported. In Spain's Vilanova de Sau in the Catalonia region, plummeting water levels in a reservoir exposed a 11th century Romanesque church, the Associated Press reported. Switzerland's melting glaciers revealed the remains of a 1968 plane in August.

☆ Endangered status sought for manatees as hundreds starve
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Manatees that are dying by the hundreds mainly from pollution-caused starvation in Florida should once again be listed as an endangered species, environmental groups said Monday in a petition seeking the change. Fish and Wildlife Service contends it was an error to take manatees off the endangered list in 2017, leaving the slow-moving marine mammals listed only as threatened. Under the Endangered Species Act, a species is considered endangered if it is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.” A threatened species is one that may become endangered in the foreseeable future. “Re-designating manatees as endangered will be a critical first step in righting a terrible wrong,” Rose said. The Fish and Wildlife Service has 90 days to determine whether restoring the manatee to endangered status is warranted and, if so, 12 months from the date of the petition to complete a review of the manatee’s status.

2020 boundaries Miami Beach Detail Miami Kendall 2022 boundaries The 27th District’s redrawn boundaries now include Republican areas west of Miami. 2020 boundaries 2022 boundaries The 27th District’s redrawn boundaries now include Republican areas west of Miami. Miami Beach Detail Miami Miami Kendall Kendall Miami Beach, which largely voted for President Biden, is now part of another district. 2020 boundaries 2022 boundaries Florida Florida The 27th District’s redrawn boundaries now include Republican areas west of Miami. Detail Miami Beach Miami Miami Kendall Kendall Miami Beach, which largely voted for President Biden, is now part of another district.

☆ Florida teen wins competition by capturing 28 Burmese pythons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI — A 19-year-old South Florida man captured 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition that was created to increase awareness about the threats the invasive snakes pose to the state’s ecology. Earlier this year, a team of biologists hauled in the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida. A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami. Concepcion told the South Florida SunSentinel that he’s been hunting pythons for about five years, and typically looks for them at night because that’s when they’re on the move, seeking the warmth of roads. We are removing record numbers of pythons and we’re going to keep at it,” South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member “Alligator Ron” Bergeron said in a news release.

Share this -Link copiedFloridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok Floridians are giving TikTok users a front-row seat to Hurricane Ian. Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday. Share this -Link copiedIan expected to strengthen until making landfall, officials say Hurricane Ian is still forecast to strengthen until the hurricane makes landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. “We are extremely concerned about the potential impacts Hurricane Ian may have on phosphate facilities around the state,” Whitlock added. Share this -Link copiedIan strengthens into Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it advances upon Florida's west coast. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday.

Share this -Link copiedView of Hurricane Ian from International Space Station View of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station. Share this -Link copiedIan on track to make landfall in Florida as 'catastrophic' Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian is strengthening as it nears Florida's west coast, officials said. “We are extremely concerned about the potential impacts Hurricane Ian may have on phosphate facilities around the state,” Whitlock added. Share this -Link copiedIan strengthens into Category 4 storm Hurricane Ian has strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it advances upon Florida's west coast. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early on Wednesday morning.

A Florida Keys boat captain was arrested on a manslaughter charge Thursday in connection with a deadly parasailing trip this year, officials said. An arrest warrant accused the captain, Daniel Gavin Couch, 49, of not checking the weather before the May 30 trip and then cutting the towline to his passengers’ parasail during strong winds. Couch was arrested Thursday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on a warrant for one charge of manslaughter and five counts of violation of commercial parasailing statutes, the commission said. The FWC said Couch hadn’t recently checked weather conditions before he took 12 passengers on the parasailing trip May 30. Cutting the towline was called a “gross and flagrant decision” that severed the group’s only means of safe return.

☆ Giant invasive pythons run rampant in Florida and wreak havoc on native species — but python hunters are here to help
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Invasive Burmese pythons have decimated native species in Florida. The invasive pythons are feasting on native speciesSiewe is one of 100 licensed hunters contracted by Florida to catch and kill the invasive reptiles, which have wreaked havoc on the ecosystem and decimated native species. One of the largest of all snakes, pythons can grow up to 20 feet long and feast on animals as large as white-tailed deer. Paid to hunt — in the name of conservationWildlife officials are working on projects to estimate the python population, but the most successful effort to address the problem has been the python hunters, Kirkland said. "I know it sounds crazy, but it is the easiest way to catch these pythons," Siewe said, adding she's been bit many times.

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