broward.org\/parks<\/a>.<\/p>\nBears<\/p>\n
You never know when a bear is going to make its way into a suburban neighborhood. Make sure they cannot access human food, including in your garbage bin. A bird feeder or pet food in an outdoor bowl can also become potential bear fare. \u201cAs temperatures rise, bears become more active, and mothers begin teaching their cubs what to eat and how to survive,\u201d according to the FWC. Don\u2019t panic if you see one: \u201cWhen bears can\u2019t find an easy meal in your yard or neighborhood, they typically move on.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gopher tortoises<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s only native tortoise becomes more visible in the spring as it searches for food and looks to breed, the FWC says: \u201cIf you spot a gopher tortoise or its distinctive half-moon-shaped burrow entrance, please give it space and avoid disturbing it. If you see a gopher tortoise crossing the road and it\u2019s safe to help, you may gently move it in the direction it was headed (not in your vehicle). And remember, gopher tortoises are land animals that cannot swim, so they should never be put in water.\u201d You can see gopher tortoises at Deerfield Island Park in Deerfield Beach and Fern Forest Nature Center in Coconut Creek.<\/p>\n
Manatees<\/p>\n
Boaters beware: You\u2019re likely to see manatees, currently listed as \u201cthreatened\u201d under the Endangered Species Act, this time of year as they leave their winter habitats and travel through the Intracoastal Waterway and other local waters. According to South Florida veterinarian Dr. Shelby Loos: \u201cThe leading causes of deaths in manatees include trauma from boat strikes, starvation from lack of sea grass due to pollution, cold stress due to loss of warm water habitats, increased and worsening episodes of red tide events, and other human-related causes such as plastic ingestion and entanglement in fishing lines.\u201d Boaters should show respect for these gentle sea cows and always follow the speed limit.<\/p>\n
Sea turtles<\/p>\n
March 1 marked the beginning of sea turtle nesting season. Environmental officials in Broward and Palm Beach counties are busy collecting monitoring data and enforcing sea turtle lighting laws, ensuring that moms and their babies have the dark skies they need to lay their eggs on our beaches.<\/p>\n
The Department of Environmental Resources Management for Palm Beach County, where 2 million baby sea turtles are expected to be born, offers these tips:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Do not dig holes on the beach during nesting season.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Never use flashlights on the beach at night during nesting season and never approach a nesting sea turtle unless you are attending a permitted sea turtle walk with experts who have FWC authorization.<\/p>\n
\u2014 When boating, be sure the captain is wearing polarized sunglasses and be extra vigilant when operating boats near shore as turtles are actively mating in this zone throughout the season.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Reduce your reliance on single-use plastic products. Sea turtles and other marine mammals swallow plastic tossed into the ocean, and it can severely damage their digestive tracts or kill them.<\/p>\n
Snakes<\/p>\n
The FWC says not to be surprised if you see native snakes as they become more active in this season. Don\u2019t be scared: \u201cSnakes are shy and usually try to avoid encounters; however, it is not unusual to find them basking in the sunlight on artificial surfaces.\u201d If you see one, just steer clear \u2014 and make sure your dog stays away, too.<\/p>\n
Nesting waterbirds<\/p>\n
Herons, egrets and pelicans are putting on quite a show in mangroves and tree islands throughout South Florida. A great place to see them is Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, where you can get super-close to the storks and rookeries that have practically taken over the park\u2019s water-surrounded trees. In the vibrant Facebook group \u201cWakodahatchee Wetlands and Green Cay Nature Preserve,\u201d visitors have also recorded hawks and herons catching fish and taking care of their young, purple gallinules and blue jays in flight, and the occasional bobcat family hunting for food. Go early in the morning as parking becomes sparse as the day proceeds.<\/p>\n
Other avian creatures<\/p>\n
South Florida parks are aflutter with all kinds of feathery vertebrates building nests. Benji Studt, who is in charge of outreach and science communication at the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management, says among his favorites is the swallow-tailed kite, which he calls \u201cthe iconic aerial acrobat of our summer skies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThese birds are arriving after making a 5,000-mile migration back to our area after spending the winter in southern Brazil,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd they only have five months to find their mate, build their nest, lay their eggs, hatch out their chicks, and then get those babies strong enough to make the 5,000-mile journey back down to Brazil when they are only 3 months old!\u201d<\/p>\n
Studt recommends heading over to one of Palm Beach County\u2019s larger nature preserves, such as Cypress Creek Natural Area in Jupiter or Loxahatchee Slough in Palm Beach Gardens, to catch a glimpse of the spirited flocks.<\/p>\n
Final tips<\/p>\n
\u2014 If you see an injured animal, leave it where you found it. According to the FWC: \u201cThe parents are often nearby, foraging for food.\u201d If you suspect the animal might be injured or orphaned, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or the nearest FWC regional office.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Be alert to animals crossing roads. Obey the speed limits, particularly in panther zones and areas with road signage identifying known wildlife crossings.<\/p>\n
\u2014 It\u2019s tempting, but don\u2019t feed wild or stray animals. \u201cAnimals that are fed can become aggressive and harass people,\u201d according to the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department. Not to mention, feeding these creatures is also a violation of county laws.<\/p>\n
The FWC encourages the public to report suspected violations to its Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2014 Nap time is over for South Florida\u2019s wildlife. It\u2019s spring, and this is the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215899,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[16484,1618,28,8659,30,29,4747,3959,98416,98417,557,23845,807],"class_list":{"0":"post-215898","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-florida","8":"tag-deerfield-beach","9":"tag-fla","10":"tag-florida","11":"tag-florida-fish-and-wildlife","12":"tag-florida-headlines","13":"tag-florida-news","14":"tag-fwc","15":"tag-gopher-tortoise","16":"tag-gopher-tortoises","17":"tag-native-animals","18":"tag-palm-beach-county","19":"tag-sea-turtles","20":"tag-south-florida"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215898","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215898"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215898\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}