Florida wildlife officials this week will hear a proposal to create an annual “limited-entry” black bear hunt, with a December hunting period the first in more than a decade.

With university students and residents leaving Gainesville for break, the shelter is seeing an increase in returned foster dogs and a drop in available help.

The UF bat houses' population dropped to less than 100,000 bats. Experts say the bats population are recovering, and mating season could help restore the population to its normal levels of about 450,000 to 500,000 bats.

The death toll of Florida panthers for this year continues to rise after the fourth panther death was recorded on March 10. Thirty-six Florida panther deaths were recorded by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commision in 2024.

The Alachua Audubon Society organizes guided bird walks every Wednesday, with a few additional trips scattered throughout the month.

The Santa Fe Teaching Zoo hosted an Otter Farewell Weekend to say goodbye to its family of seven Asian small-clawed otters.

Richard Couto, founder and president of Animal Recovery Mission, estimates tens of thousands of slaughters happen each year because of the high demand for the illegal meat.

The otter family is part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan. They will move to Memphis on March 5 to support this effort.

As egg prices have gone up, some Florida residents are crowing about raising their own chickens.

With space running out, the staff does everything they can to avoid euthanasia, but the reality is stark—when kennels are full, the options become limited.