Latest news with #FWC
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Motorcyclists injured after hitting alligator on I-4 in Orange City
Two motorcyclists were involved in a crash yesterday at approximately 6:08 p.m. on the westbound lanes of Interstate 4 near mile marker 110 in Orange City. The incident involved a 2022 Suzuki GSX-R1000R and a 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 650 traveling west in the inside lane. The motorcycles struck an alligator in the roadway, causing both riders to veer off the roadway to the left. The Suzuki entered a wooded area and would collide with a tree. The riders, a 67-year-old man from DeLeon Springs and a 25-year-old woman from Orange City, were transported to HCA Lake Monroe Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was dispatched to assist with the injured alligator. The crash remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Motorcyclists hospitalized after striking alligator on I-4: FHP
The Brief Two motorcyclists were injured in the crash with the alligator on I-4, according to troopers. FWC officials were called out to assist with the injured gator. The crash remains under investigation. VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Two motorcyclists were sent to the hospital after striking an alligator in the roadway. according to troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol. Officials said the motorcyclists were traveling on the inside lane on I4 westbound near mile marker 110 around 6 p.m. when they struck an alligator that was within the lane. The collision caused one of the motorcyclists, a 67-year-old man, to strike a tree. He was later transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The other motorcyclist, a 25-year-old woman, was also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to assist with the injured gator. The crash remains under investigation.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Construction workers make shock discovery in lobby of beachside tower that leaves them fearing for their lives
Construction workers in Florida were left shocked after they discovered a black bear taking a nap in a condominium lobby of the building they were working on. On Friday night, the bear was photographed inside the building site while sleeping on the floor. The Naples Police Department responded to the call on Gulf Shore Blvd followed by Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission. 'Unusual sight in the City of Naples today!' the NPD wrote. 'Naples Police responded to 3115 Gulf Shore Blvd. N reference to a black bear that was taking a nap in a condominium lobby that was under construction. 'He took a swim in the Gulf earlier and obviously tired himself out!' The FWC then trapped the bear without incident, according to the NPD. Within Florida, there are an estimated 4,050 bears, with about 49 percent occupying their historic range in seven bear subpopulations, Naples Daily News reported. According to the FWC, bears roam the state in forests and swamps from Eglin Air Force Base in the Panhandle to Ocala National Forest to Big Cypress National Preserve in Southwest Florida. Should anyone encounter a black bear, the FWC recommends to stay a clear distance and remain standing upright with a calm, assertive voice. Black bears have been successfully scared away by big, aggressive movements or loud noises.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man used life vest to fend off alligator attack at Lake Kissimmee State Park
The Brief New details and photos were released concerning a violent gator attack. FWC says the woman was bitten on her elbow while she was paddling at Tiger Creek Canal in Polk County. The man who tried to help her was saved by his life vest. LAKE WALES, Fla. - New details have been released about a violent alligator attack that left a woman seriously injured while kayaking in Lake Kissimmee State Park earlier this year. What we know The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said a woman was kayaking when an 8-foot alligator bit her paddle, causing the kayak to capsize. Then the gator bit her on the elbow in early March in the Tiger Creek Canal near the Osceola-Polk county line. Her husband tried to pull her back up, but the gator wouldn't let go of her arm. A man who was in a group kayaking with her paddled over to try and help. According to FWC, the gator released the woman, but then bit his life jacket. The man then poked the gator in the eyes, but it still didn't let go. So, he unbuckled and ripped off the life jacket, and the gator swam away with the life vest. He was able to get away unharmed. In new photos released to FOX 35, you can see the tourniquet wrapped around the woman's arm to try and save it. At last check, thankfully, doctors were able to save her arm, and did not amputate it. The alligator was found and killed. FWC believes the female gator was being protective or territorial and was triggered by the splashing of the paddle. There was a nest and multiple young gators nearby. Dig deeper A 61-year-old Davenport woman was killed on May 6, 2025, while canoeing in the same vicinity of Lake Kissimmee State Park. Cynthia Diekema of Davenport was canoeing with her husband near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee in approximately two-and-a-half feet of water. According to FWC officials, the couple's canoe passed over a large alligator, prompting it to thrash and capsize the canoe, throwing the couple into the water. The woman reportedly landed on top of the alligator and was bitten. She was later spotted by a Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter and recovered by FWC officers, but she died of her injuries. What you can do The FWC recommends taking the following precautions to reduce the chances of alligator incidents: Keep a safe distance if you see an alligator. If someone is concerned about an alligator, they should call FWC's toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and a contracted nuisance alligator trapper will be dispatched to resolve the situation. Keep pets on a leash and away from the water's edge. Pets often resemble alligators' natural prey. Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn. Never feed an alligator. It's illegal and dangerous. When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food. This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.A contracted nuisance alligator trapper has been dispatched to remove the FWC report, STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV The Source This story was written based on information shared by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials, and a phone call from a male victim.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Shocking injuries of old man viciously attacked by unlikely beast in stunning coastal Florida town
A Florida community was recently ambushed by a 'vicious' and unlikely beast who left an old man injured. A Muscovy duck recently made its way to a neighborhood in Cape Coral - about four hours outside of Orlando - but the animal was not at all welcoming to its neighbors. James Sepulveda, a resident who has lived in the area since 1998, was left with an injury on his hand after the duck bit him. 'I sit on my porch, 7 to 7:30 at this time of the year to catch a sunset, you know, some sun, and I had my eyes closed,' he told Fox 4. 'All of a sudden, I felt a jab on my hand and it was bleeding.' Sepulveda wasn't the only one attacked by the duck, as Richard Guy, a neighbor who lives down the street from him, was also targeted. 'I stood up and I made some noises, thinking it would go away, duck, you know, next thing I know, its wings come out you know like it's going to attack me,' Guy told the outlet, showing injuries near his wrist. At one point, the duck, later named Jimmy, even followed Sepulveda into his home. When news first broke of the animal's terrifying behavior, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The act prohibits the killing, selling, capturing, trading or transportation of specific birds without prior authorization, according to the agency's website. 'Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a Control Order allowing control of Muscovy ducks and their nests and eggs in areas outside their natural range,' FWC told the outlet. The particular ducks are known to inhabit Texas, not the Sunshine State. If they need to be removed, the process has to include them being either humanely killed or donated to scientific or educational institutes, per the agency. After news of Jimmy's actions spread across the community, the terrorizing duck was taken to an animal sanctuary. Mark Quadrozzi with Remarkable Rescues in Ocala took it upon himself to remove the feisty animal from the neighborhood. 'When you have a duck that wants to actually make physical contact with a person like that, but in a way with its beak it's more of a social thing. It's kind of a given that it was hand raised by someone,' the expert told the outlet. After looking around for Jimmy for about an hour, Quadrozzi finally located the animal and quickly realized why it might have been acting out. 'This is a young male. Yes, that's why he's being such a punk,' he said. He believes the duck is about three to four-months-old and was likely hand-raised. Jimmy was placed in a cage and taken to the animal sanctuary to live with other Muscovy ducks. Now, local residents wont have to be on edge when they leave their homes.
