FWC

A rescue crew at the Fort Myers Beach U.S. Coast Guard station saved seven boaters Sunday night after a vessel collision between a 36-foot vessel and barge near Fort Myers Beach.The USCG rescue crew safely transferred all seven boaters to awaiting emergency medical service personnel in stable condition at the station.

Multiple sightings of a bear on the main part of the FGCU campus in recent days has prompted the placement of a trap on campus.The University Police Department urged people stay clear of the trap. UPD asked people not approach the trap, but report — from afar — if anything is seen inside.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking the public to report sightings of the elusive rainbow snake (Farancia erytrogramma), a nonvenomous species whose population has declined in recent decades.

The first black bear hunt in Florida in a decade takes place in December under a rule adopted Wednesday by state wildlife officials. This is despite strong opposition to the eventual use of dogs and hunting the animals in baited locations. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted unanimously in favor of the plan during a meeting that drew 168 people. The public hearing took place in the Panhandle town of Havana. Opponents called the hunt cruel, unnecessary and an excuse for hunters to bag a trophy animal. They say the real issue is the encroaching human population in bear habitat as Florida continues to grow.

A young bobcat found injured in Bonita Springs is now back in the wild after a successful rescue and rehabilitation effort by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, supportive community members, and key wildlife and veterinary partners. 

Registration for the 2025 Florida Python Challenge is open. The event, hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the South Florida Water Management District, encourages the removal of invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades and its surrounding land.

Could a Black Bear Hunt return to The Sunshine State? Florida Fish and Wildlife are preparing to make their decision if the conservation effort takes place later this year.

Spiny lobster season closes April 1; will reopen for two days at the end of July