Latest news with #FederalEndangeredSpeciesAct
Indianapolis Star
5 days ago
- General
- Indianapolis Star
'We were in awe': Watch endangered Key deer swim in Florida Keys canal
A herd of endangered Key deer took a swim in a Florida Keys canal in what onlookers described as a "rare occurrence." Video footage shows a group of about five deer gracefully jumping into the water and gliding through it. "We were in awe," Jaime Kulaga, who filmed the video, told USA TODAY Aug. 7. "We have deer all over Big Pine Key, but it is a rare occurrence to actually see them swim." Kulaga said she and her family were going down a canal in their community in Big Pine Key around 9:40 a.m. on Aug. 2 when they turned and saw the group "sitting on the edge foraging." Then as one of them turned and looked at the water, Kulaga said she told her husband to slow down their boat as she thought the deer would jump. "Sure enough she jumped right in and the whole family followed her," Kulaga said. "They swam so perfectly and calmingly right to the other side. Then, they jumped right out with no hesitation and started foraging again." Kulaga said it appeared the animals took a "short swim or a little bath in the hot sun." "They knew exactly what they were doing, and they made it perfectly to the other side," the licensed mental health counselor and life coach said, adding she checked if they did. See video: Horses appear unfazed by massive dust devil near Utah ranch Key deer are the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer. They are classified as an endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a federally designated endangered species in Florida. The small animals with light to dark-brown coating, a white belly, and a black snout are found only in the Florida Keys, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Their range includes about 26 islands from Big Pine Key to Sugarloaf Key, and they can swim from one island to another, the agency said. While hunting and habitat destruction initially caused their numbers to fall to less than 50 in the 1940s, the main threat to their existence now is getting hit by vehicles, followed by illegal feeding which results in "concentration of Key deer populations, facilitating the spread of parasites and disease," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
USA Today
5 days ago
- General
- USA Today
'We were in awe': Watch endangered Key deer swim in Florida Keys canal
A herd of endangered Key deer took a swim in a Florida Keys canal in what onlookers described as a "rare occurrence." Video footage shows a group of about five deer gracefully jumping into the water and gliding through it. "We were in awe," Jaime Kulaga, who filmed the video, told USA TODAY Aug. 7. "We have deer all over Big Pine Key, but it is a rare occurrence to actually see them swim." Kulaga said she and her family were going down a canal in their community in Big Pine Key around 9:40 a.m. on Aug. 2 when they turned and saw the group "sitting on the edge foraging." Then as one of them turned and looked at the water, Kulaga said she told her husband to slow down their boat as she thought the deer would jump. "Sure enough she jumped right in and the whole family followed her," Kulaga said. "They swam so perfectly and calmingly right to the other side. Then, they jumped right out with no hesitation and started foraging again." Kulaga said it appeared the animals took a "short swim or a little bath in the hot sun." "They knew exactly what they were doing, and they made it perfectly to the other side," the licensed mental health counselor and life coach said, adding she checked if they did. See video: Horses appear unfazed by massive dust devil near Utah ranch Watch: Endangered Key deer take a dip in Florida canal Key deer in Florida Key deer are the smallest subspecies of white-tailed deer. They are classified as an endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a federally designated endangered species in Florida. The small animals with light to dark-brown coating, a white belly, and a black snout are found only in the Florida Keys, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Their range includes about 26 islands from Big Pine Key to Sugarloaf Key, and they can swim from one island to another, the agency said. While hunting and habitat destruction initially caused their numbers to fall to less than 50 in the 1940s, the main threat to their existence now is getting hit by vehicles, followed by illegal feeding which results in "concentration of Key deer populations, facilitating the spread of parasites and disease," according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California's growing wolf population triggers new management phase
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — The rising number of wolves in California has prompted the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to shift to 'Phase 2' of its wolf-management plan, the agency announced Wednesday. The new phase allows the CDFW to consider issuing permits for 'less-than-lethal harassment,' like firing guns or nonlethal munitions to scare off wolf packs hunting livestock. Any permit system would have to follow laws set in the California Endangered Species Act and Federal Endangered Species Act. 'Really Stupid Park': SF commuters use Great Highway park-naming contest to vent The new phase also prompts the CDFW to create an online tool for tracking GPS-collared wolves in the state. The CDFW will also publish its first annual report outlining the conservation and management of California wolves from 2015 to 2024. These changes are expected to occur in the coming weeks and months. 'This tool will greatly facilitate CDFW's efforts, as guided by the Conservation Plan, to provide timely information regarding wolf activity in the vicinity of livestock production,' the CDFW said. '… In the first part of 2025, CDFW has been able to collar and release 12 gray wolves in Northern California. There are now more satellite-collared wolves in California than ever before, which is expected to improve understanding and management of the species in the state.' Wolves naturally reentered California from Oregon in 2011. Wolf populations were wiped out in the region in the early 1900s and were reintroduced in Idaho in 1995 and 1996. By 2008, descendants of wolves reintroduced in Idaho began to recolonize Northeast Oregon, and ultimately Northern California. There are currently seven confirmed wolf packs in California: The Beyem Seyo pack, Diamond pack, Harvey pack, Ice Cave pack, Lassen pack, Whaleback pack and Yowlumni pack. These packs mostly inhabit Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. However, the Yowlumni pack is found in the southern Sierra Nevada. The success of these packs prompted CDFW officials to enact Phase 2 of the state's wolf conservation plan. 'Five of the seven packs met CDFW's definition of a 'breeding pair' in 2024, meaning two adults and two or more pups surviving until the end of the year,' the CDFW said. 'Because CDFW has documented at least four breeding pairs for two consecutive years, California is now in 'Phase 2' of wolf management, as specified by the state's 2016 Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California.' Chevron to cut 600 jobs at former HQ in San Ramon The CDFW said that it is actively monitoring and tracking gray wolves in the state, investigating wolf deaths and wolf-related livestock attacks, and working to reduce conflicts between humans and gray wolves. In the last five years, CDFW officers have conducted eight investigations into gray wolf deaths. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Crocodile relocation sparks spirited debate in Miami-Dade neighborhood, residents say
Residents who live near Highland Oaks Park in northern Miami-Dade shared a lake at the center of the park and the surrounding area for years with two American crocodiles — long believed by some homeowners to be a mated pair. On Monday, authorities hauled one of the scaly reptiles away after it got a bit too close to nearby homes. During the early morning hours, one of the two crocodiles, a female, wandered toward a resident's doorstep. It was the second time in recent weeks that one of the creatures came close to a home. Neighbors reported that a man, pedaling his bicycle on a darkened sidewalk, rode over the animal's tail. Local authorities were summoned and a trapper with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission drove over to collect her. The crocodile's legs were zip-tied, and its mouth sealed with what appeared to be duct tape. The trapper tagged the croc, and took a blood specimen from near the animal's snout. With the help of several Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies — and the resident whose yard the crocodile invaded — the trapper loaded the croc in the flatbed of a pick-up truck as other residents watched nearby. The wildlife agent told the Miami Herald that his agency had seen no evidence of nesting activity by the pair, and the captured crocodile would be relocated away from people. In recent months, the two crocodiles — both of whom neighbors had taken to calling Charlie — strayed from their man-made lake home, where they often sunbathed, to the front lawns of some neighboring homes. The animals have caused controversy between residents who consider them a threat to pets and children and those who believe the animals should be left alone as they are protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. On the NextDoor app, one neighbor said that gates on the canals and waterways that link to the Oleta River, and ultimately Biscayne Bay, do little to prevent the creatures from moving into residential neighborhoods. As some argued over how to handle the problem of 'ambush predators,' others contended humans need to do more for reptiles just trying to find a place to live. 'Poor Charlie,' wrote one resident. 'He probably was just terrified getting his tail run over.' In a more serious vein, she added: 'Please be aware of your are so lucky to be able to have all types of wildlife living amongst us.'
Miami Herald
24-03-2025
- Miami Herald
Crocodile relocation sparks spirited debate in Miami-Dade neighborhood, residents say
Residents of Highland Oaks Park in northern Miami-Dade shared a lake at the center of their park and the surrounding area for years with two American crocodiles — long thought to be a mated pair. On Monday, authorities hauled one of the scaly reptiles away after it got a bit too close to nearby homes. During the morning hours, one of the two crocodiles, a female, wandered toward a resident's doorstep for the second time in recent weeks. Local authorities were called and a trapper with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission drove over to collect her. The crocodile had its legs and mouth zip-tied, blood taken, tagged and then placed in the back of a pick-up truck as Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies and residents watched nearby. The wildlife agent told the Miami Herald that the crocodile would be relocated away from people. In recent months, two crocodiles strayed from their man-made lake home, where they often sunbathed, to the front lawns of some neighboring homes, residents said. According to neighbors, the animals have caused controversy between residents who consider them a threat to pets and children and those who believe the animals should be left alone as they're protected under the Federal Endangered Species Act. On the NextDoor app, neighbors were blaming gates on the canals as a reason for the crocodiles moving into neighborhoods. As some argued over how to handle the problem of 'ambush predators,' others contended humans need to do more for reptiles just trying to find a place to live.
