From Key West’s high-summer Hemingway Days, in which bearded hopefuls vie for the title of best Papa lookalike, to the annual hunt for the elusive (and imaginary) skunk ape, Florida is renowned for its calendar of curiosities. Now another bizarre date has been added to the list: tag your reptile day. Owners of tegus, a […]
The eastern Gulf of Mexico has been protected from oil and gas drilling for decades, most recently by the 2006 Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. Unfortunately, the ban is scheduled to end on June 30, 2022, and without renewal or replacement, this long-protected area could be open to drilling. In fact, the Interior Department’s […]
Iguanas living in South Florida have something new to watch out for – a California-based exotic meats operation is setting up shop to take advantage of the invasive population. According toPalm Beach Post, California resident Anshu Pathak has been making a living selling iguana meat from his exotic meats operation. Iguanas gather on the seawall […]
Wildlife experts have blamed toxic red tide algae and a cold snap for the deadly 2018 experienced by manatees, but so far this year, boats are the primary cause. From the beginning of this year through June 21, 81 manatees have been killed by watercraft in Florida’s waters, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife […]
Florida wildlife officials have removed the Keys’ population of ospreys from the state’s list of Species of Special Concern after finding statewide numbers are up. Some had wanted the Keys’ birds listed as their own distinct population. The Florida Keys’ ospreys, the fierce fish hawks whose massive nests dot utility poles, channel markers and nesting […]
Thanks to animal activist organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a Florida zoo will likely never be allowed to own tigers again. In October of 2016, PETA sued Dade City’s Wild Things and owners Kathryn and Randall Steares in federal court in Tampa. The organization alleged that DCWT’s practice of allowing the public […]
When a Florida private school featured a caged tiger at prom this year, animal rights advocates were aghast. The tiger paced nervously as fire dancers juggled torches outside his cage, surrounded by sparklers and hundreds of Christopher Columbus High School students. “This tiger’s not celebrating. This tiger’s not having a party,” Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill […]
Florida is struggling with a fast-increasing population of invasive green iguanas that began as a small group of released and escaped pets. Thriving in the warm sunshine and humid climate, experts believe hundreds of thousands of nonnative iguanas now call the Sunshine State “home.” There, state conservation officials claim they threaten the wellbeing of native […]