Alarming manatee death toll numbers in Florida push calls for endangered status

Endangered manatee swimming in water — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Image by: Peter Douglas Clark Following the nearly 2,000 manatee deaths in Florida’s coastal and inland waterways over the past two years, a coalition of environmental organizations has called for the species to be urgently reclassified as endangered. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), according

Florida wildlife officials considering new set of regulations to protect seabirds at Skyway Fishing Pier

Skyway Fishing Pier – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by kesterhu ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Between fishhooks and line entanglements, the Skyway Fishing Pier is the center of where several brown pelicans have sadly died. Previous cases of red tide wiped out the majority of the food source causing them to head to the pier for

Central Florida Zoo reopens after four-week closure due to Hurricane Ian

Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens Entrance Sign – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by KLiK Photography Long after Hurricane Ian made landfall in the Sunshine State, the devastating storm that drenched the Central Florida region left its mark on one beloved attraction.  The Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, Florida finally managed to

Florida teen wins the top prize after catching 28 pythons during annual challenge

Burmese Pythons in the Everglades, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Heiko Kiera A 19-year-old man from the Sunshine State accomplished a great feat by capturing 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition created to spread awareness about the serious threat invasive snakes pose on state ecology. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife

Did sharks abandon the waters off of Florida during Hurricane Ian? Experts talk about how hurricanes affect wildlife

Aftermath of Hurricane Ian — Courtesy: Shutterstock — Felix Mizioznikov Florida is known for its incredible wildlife, from the birds that fly high in the sky to the beasts that roam through the swamps and gorgeous beaches. However, Florida’s beauty sometimes gets brutally interrupted, just as it did last month when Hurricane Ian rammed into

Why scientists believe that 99 percent of sea turtle babies are now born female

Sea turtles swimming – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Gail Johnson Florida’s sea turtles are struggling with a unique problem made even worse by climate change: recent heat waves have caused the sand on certain beaches to become so warm that nearly every turtle born was female. “The frightening thing is the last four summers

The Sunshine State’s Lion Country Safari is named one of the nation’s Top 5 safari parks

Lion Country Safari, Loxahatchee, FL – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by mariakray Providing a one-on-one experience with exotic animals since 1967, and rumored to be the first-ever cage-less zoo in the U.S., Lion Country Safari has officially been named the fifth best safari park in the nation in USA Today’s “10 Best” Readers’ Choice 2022

Celtics co-owner donates $2 million in an effort to protect Florida manatees

Manatees Swimming – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Thierry Eidenweil A co-owner of the Boston Celtics is donating a whopping $2 million toward protecting Florida’s manatees and their habitats following two devastating seasons of record-breaking manatee mortalities throughout the state. The Fox Rock Foundation will give $1 million each to the nonprofits Fish & Wildlife

Lion Country Safari brings a wild drive-thru experience to Florida residents

Lion Country Safari, Loxahatchee, FL — Courtesy: Shutterstock — mariakray Right here in the Sunshine State, Florida residents can immerse themselves in a four-mile safari with thriving naturalistic habitats and large herds of roaming animals. Lion Country Safari, located in Loxahatchee, is the largest drive-thru safari in the state and the first one in the

‘Highly pathogenic’ bird flu has been found in Florida’s wild birds

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that a new strain of avian flu is affecting the Sunshine State’s wild bird population.  The FWC said the National Veterinary Services Laboratory found cases of “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, H5 2.3.4.4, in lesser scaup, black vultures and other wild birds.” Wildlife experts are now investigating bird