The statewide recreational hunting of Florida’s alligators began Wednesday.
As part of a harvest program, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has issued 7,500 permits to allow for the recreational alligator hunt.
That’s one part of a two-pronged effort by state wildlife officials to manage the alligator population.
The other part of FWC’s approach to managing the species is the “Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program” or SNAP. It allows anyone from the public who sees an alligator as a potential threat to people, pets, or property to call FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
Decades ago, alligators used to be on the federal endangered species list. Now, the population has grown to about 1.3 million in Florida.
For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner .
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