South Florida deputies said they were forced to shoot bear; Wildlife officials disagree
Palm Beach County deputies said they had no choice but to shoot a black bear roaming a residential neighborhood over the weekend after a trapper failed to show up, but state wildlife officials are disputing their account and rationale.
Zoo Miami celebrates Florida’s American flamingo conservation on International Flamingo Day
Monday, April 26, is International Flamingo Day, and if there’s anything more quintessentially South Florida (besides coconut trees and sunshine) it’s the American Flamingo. However, what most people don’t know is that the American flamingo hasn’t always been classified as a native species of Florida.
Manatees are dying at an unusually high rate across Florida in 2021
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Florida’s beloved manatees, affectionately known as the “cows of the sea,” are always a sight to behold as they grace our Florida waters. However, since the beginning of 2021, the sea cow population is decreasing at an alarmingly fast rate. In the first five weeks of 2021, manatee deaths in Florida reached more than half of what they were in all of 2020. As of February 24, more than 350 manatee deaths have been recorded in Florida in 2021, which is three times the usual average for the same time period, according to The Weather Channel. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at least 358 manatees have died in Florida since Jan. 1.
Manatee found dead, with disturbing scene leading to questions about how it died and what killed it
MIAMI – A manatee mystery has South Florida officials scratching their heads after one of the gentle sea cows was found dead. “I came over here and I see this giant manatee without a head,” Mahomar told Local 10. “Salinity control structures closing on manatees was the second leading cause of deaths of manatees in the state of Florida,” said Silverstein. Now, as those gates are closing, if it detects the presence of a manatee those gates are supposed to stop. That leads to a question of whether those sensors were working at the time the manatee Mahomar found was crushed.
Fatal boat crash investigation continues in Broward, Miami-Dade
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – The death of Zach Forte in the Baker’s Haulover Inlet area remains under investigation on Friday in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties. After a massive search involving the U.S. Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, investigators found Forte’s lifeless body on Thursday. The search for Forte’s body took more than 12 hours. Joanne McLaughlin, who was in the area during the massive search, said she saw a woman who appeared to be the survivor of the crash. Body found in this areaDamaged boat found in this area
Caught on Camera: Man on personal watercraft leads FWC officers on chase
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. Authorities have arrested a man who they said led Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers on a high speed chase Monday night on the waters off South Florida. FWC officers said they stopped a man identified as Eric Tukes on a personal watercraft who fled from their marine patrol unit around 8 p.m. after he led them on the chase that stretched from Broward to Miami-Dade County. According to FWC, the incident began as a manatee zone infraction when Tukes suddenly took off. Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper told Local 10 the chase ended up behind her home. Tukes reportedly ditched the watercraft and took off on foot, which is when Hallandale Beach police officers patrolling the area took him into custody.
FWC removes crocodile from Islamorada home
ISLAMORADA, Fla. – Officers and a trapper from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were called to a home Tuesday in Islamorada after an unexpected visitor showed up. FWC Officer Bobby Dube said authorities were called to the home on Cortez Drive and Mile Marker 76.5 Tuesday to remove a crocodile, which was just under 8 feet long. An FWC employee tends to a captured crocodile. (Andy Newman)He said the crocodile was taken to another location and was fitted with a GPS locator after undergoing a brief checkup. According to the FWC, American crocodiles are a shy and reclusive species that can be found in South Florida’s ponds, coves and mangrove swamps.
Native turtle trafficking ring busted in Florida
(CNN) - Two men have been charged for poaching thousands of Florida turtles and selling them illegally, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. More than 4,000 turtles comprising a range of native species were illegally captured and sold over six months, the commission said. "The illegal trade of turtles is having a global impact on many turtle species and our ecosystems," said Eric Sutton, the FWC's executive director. After receiving a tip in February 2018, the FWC launched an undercover investigation where they discovered a ring of traffickers who were selling wild turtles to reptile dealers and distributors. "Wild turtle populations cannot sustain the level of harvest that took place here," said Brooke Talley, the FWC's reptile and amphibian conservation coordinator.
Hunters from Texas set Florida gator hunting record
Hunters in Putnam County harvested a female gator that measured in at over 10 feet, 6 inches long on Wednesday morning. PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. - A father and son from Texas have harvested the longest female alligator on record in Florida. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission biologists confirmed on Thursday morning that the gator was the longest female gator captured on record. Based on FWC Statewide Alligator Harvest Program, the new record-setting catch follows its stringent guidelines. Under the program, hunters must apply for a permit through an open lottery period.
Hunters from Texas set Florida gator hunting record
Hunters in Putnam County harvested a female gator that measured in at over 10 feet, 6 inches long on Wednesday morning. PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. - A father and son from Texas have harvested the longest female alligator on record in Florida. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission biologists confirmed on Thursday morning that the gator was the longest female gator captured on record. Based on FWC Statewide Alligator Harvest Program, the new record-setting catch follows its stringent guidelines. Under the program, hunters must apply for a permit through an open lottery period.
Man who dragged shark to death in viral video is sentenced
WPTV/FWC via CNN(CNN) - A man involved in a viral video showing him laughing and smiling as a shark gets dragged to death behind a high-speed boat in Florida was sentenced to 10 days in jail. Robert Lee Benac, now 30, was charged Friday with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, according to Hillsbourgh County jail records and his attorney, Justin Brent Petredis. Benac was initially charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty before accepting a plea deal, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The court dropped one charge and reduced the other to animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, Petredis told CNN on Monday. According to Florida wildlife investigators, the shark was shot before being dragged to death.