Animals

There are around 635 cats who made it out alive of an Alachua County sanctuary, in what authorities said was the largest cat hoarding case in the United States. In June almost 700 cats were seized from Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary in High Springs Forida, they are now being sheltered at warehouses in Gainesville. And as Florida's 89.1 WUFT-FM'S Jessica Becerra reports it's hoped they will be adopted soon.

Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida is trying to increase it’s Gainesville presence. As Florida’s 89.1 WUFT-FM’s Juliza Monterroso reports, the nonprofit organization is hard at work saving the lives of labradors in the area. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/FPlabs.mp3]

As everyone must cope with the summer heat, a local zoo is helping their animals stay hydrated. Santa Fe Teaching Zoo provides air-conditioned rooms as well as sprinkler and misting devices to cool off certain animals not accustomed to the extreme heat. Florida’s 89.1 WUFT-FM’s Alyssa Averette has the story.

More than one million alligators currently live in Florida. During the summer months, many visitors to waterways and state parks find themselves in close encounters with gators…..often times ending in tragic results. Harry Dutton is the Alligator Management Coordinator for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. Dutton talked …

Residents nearby the Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary, whose permit was revoked Tuesday, are questioning the health department’s inspections of the property. The sanctuary had nearly 700 cats taken away last month due to various health code violations. Nearby residents have sent emails to the county questioning if previous inspections were …

Earlier this week fish and wildlife officials found a dead panther near a southwest Florida road. They say the one year old male cat had apparently been hit by a vehicle. As Donna Green-Townsend reports, although the number of panthers killed in 2011 seems high, the state’s panther population is …

A 1-year-old male panther was found dead in the Immokalee area on Monday after being hit by a vehicle. Mark Lotz, a panther biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, says this occurance is fairly common. Scientists estimate only 160 Florida panthers still remain in the wild [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/Lotz1.mp3]

A water rescue training exercise led to a horse’s death earlier this year. As Florida’s 89.1, WUFT-FM’s Jonathan Chandler reports, the accident resulted from the horse’s unexpected panic and a previously undetected flaw in the training equipment. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/horsedeathwrap.mp3]

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say 17 alligators escaped from an alligator farm in Hernando in Citrus County. FWC Investigator, Jim Smith, received a call from the local nuisance-alligator trapper saying his agent had captured eighy 4-to-6-foot alligators over four days in a housing development with no nearby …

With the cat-hoarding case at the Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary in High Springs, hoarding is getting new attention as a disorder. WUFT-FM’s Chris Peralta has more. [audio:http://www.wuft.org/media/audio/Hoarding Wrap.mp3]