The war between the invasive iguanas and the people of Florida continues as an unfortunate event in Palm Beach that happened on Wednesday, December 7. Local newspaper Sun Sentinel reports that a rogue iguana caused a large-scale power outage in Lake Worth Beach after climbing onto a power grid’s transformer, which affected roughly 1,400 households […]
Tag: florida
How a landmark bill and a small patch of land could save Florida’s panthers
Beyond the dirt tracks and swamps of the Florida Everglades lies a narrow, unremarkable strip of land that has taken on outsize importance in the battle to save the state’s critically endangered panthers. Barely 11 miles (18km) long and a mile wide, Chaparral Slough occupies a forgotten corner of south-west Florida, where cattle roam, cowboys […]
Huge alligator strapped to back of car on motorway is ‘most Florida thing ever’
A giant alligator strapped to the back of a car on a motorway has been called the most Florida picture ever taken. A woman travelling along Interstate 95 in The Sunshine State was stunned to see a massive reptile hoisted by rope behind a vehicle, just one foot off the tarmac. Karen Kress from Tampa, […]
Zoo keeper loses his hand after one of the alligators bit him during a routine training session
A Florida zoo keeper had his hand bitten off during a routine interaction with one of his own alligators due to an errant leaf. Greg Graziani, wildlife director of Florida Gator Gardens in Venus and an alligator veteran of 46 years, had his wrist chomped on August 17, the park reported on its Facebook page. […]
Manatee death toll in past dozen years equals current population
Florida’s 7,444 recorded manatees deaths in the last dozen years nearly matches the number thought to be surviving today. In 2010, state officials tallied 766 mortalities, topping 500 in a year for the first time since records began nearly 50 years ago. Since then, most years have seen counts above 500, including last year’s record […]
100-pound sailfish jumps into a boat and impales Maryland woman
A 100-pound sailfish that jumped into a boat off the coast of Florida and impaled a Maryland woman fishing there was brought to the hospital. Last week’s attack left 73-year-old Katherine Perkins with a groin injury. She claimed that the fish moved so quickly that she didn’t have time to respond, according to a report […]
Saving Florida’s gopher tortoises: Group rescues reptiles from death by development
Though gopher tortoises have persisted for millions of years, they now face a barrage of threats from loss of habitat and developers with permits that allow the reptiles to be buried alive. From 1991-2007, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued incidental take permits (ITPs) allowing land owners to pay a fee that would allow […]