FWC

A 300-pound male loggerhead sea turtle discovered in distress on Fort Myers Beach is undergoing treatment after it was rescued Saturday afternoon.

Florida residents can play an important part in conserving gopher tortoises, which are often found living near people in suburban, agricultural and other developed areas. When people get involved in gopher tortoise conservation, it helps ensure tortoises, and the over 350 species tortoises provide shelter for in their burrows, will continue to be found throughout the state in the future. Residents can get involved with conservation of gopher tortoises in several ways:

A family of great horned owls has set up housekeeping on a birding platform, usually used by ospreys and other types of raptors, at Estero High School.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recommends property owners check homes and other buildings for roosting bats before maternity season starts.

Despite laws precluding the artificial feeding of bald eagles, and the fact that the nest is in private property, some people remain adamant that the birds need help.

An investigation into activities involving the nest of breeding eagles Harriet and M15 is being conducted by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission. Harriet has not been seen around the Bayshore Road nest since late Thursday, raising all manner of concerns, worries and comments from the thousands of online viewers of the Southwest Florida Eagle Cam.

The death of five black skimmers on a Marco Island beach prompted an investigation by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission and Marco Island police and the arrest of a Bonita Springs man.

Updates Post-Ian Recovery Resources, an ongoing feature post-Ian

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has established a hotline for reporting displaced vessels still on Florida state waters because of Hurricane Ian.

The immediate search and rescue portion of the hurricane response may be over, but the recovery and reconstitution efforts by federal, state and local partners are ongoing. U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Officials ask recreational boaters to stay off the water this weekend.