WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Legislation related to COVID-19, amusement parks and Disney World has been signed into law.
Read More »Manatee sighting network in Alachua County kept track of the charismatic mammal at a time of statewide concern
Local volunteers for the Florida Springs Heartland Manatee Sighting Network, a citizen-science program started by the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department in 2022, recently completed a six-month monitoring period to note the presence of manatees in area springs and rivers.
Read More »How the Big Cat Public Safety Act affects a Melrose animal facility
Carl Bovard, owner of Single Vision, calls his establishment an animal sanctuary. Others regard it as a roadside zoo. Located in Melrose, Florida, at the end of a long dirt road, the 10-acre facility is home to about 50 exotic species. Controversy arose after several pictures and videos of visitors …
Read More »Stranded killer whale to be buried in Gainesville
WUFT · The whale that came to Gainesville The last place you would expect to find a killer whale is the University of Florida. Nevertheless, one was laid to rest at a secret location on the campus in Gainesville. The killer whale was found on Jan. 11 in Palm Coast, …
Read More »Year starts with high numbers of manatee deaths across Florida
TAMPA, Fla. – Lluvia and her calf Morado glide to the bottom of their habitat to munch on romaine lettuce; this is hour one of the eight they spend eating daily. They are the lucky ones, survivors from what wildlife experts are worried could be another year full of unusually …
Read More »Manatees eat more than 66,000 pounds of food in first month of supplemental feeding program
Hundreds of manatee swim in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL) near the Cape Canaveral Energy Center. The power station discharges warmer water that manatees seek during the winter. The area also hosts the supplemental feeding program the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) launched in December 2021. Now in …
Read More »Large-scale alligator farming affects Florida tanneries and small businesses
Alligator farming has become a critical source of skins for the leather industry. The skins are more pristine and can be raised in the most optimal conditions and many more of them can be supplied. Alligator farming has also played a role in conservation efforts for the species. But a consequence of the advent of farming has been an oversupply of skins that has made their value plummet. This oversupply has mainly come from large-scale industrial farms that can slaughter thousands of animals every week and have chomped smaller operations out of business.
Read More »The Point, Dec. 1, 2022: Gators backup quarterback arrested on child porn charges
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Florida Gators backup quarterback faces child pornography charges, suspended from team indefinitely. “Gainesville police said Kitna, 19, of Burleson, Texas, shared two illegal images with other internet users over the …
Read More »The Point, Nov. 30, 2022: Voters unclear on Gainesville’s Complete Streets program
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Voter clarity on Gainesville’s Complete Streets program still evolving post-election. “Gainesville’s Vision Zero program, a part of the national Complete Streets movement, was introduced to the city commission in 2018, …
Read More »The Point, Oct. 27, 2022: Alachua NAACP wants to pursue legal action for ‘deceptive’ political ads
Subscribe to The Point, arriving in your inbox Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. The stories near you • WUFT News: Local NAACP to pursue legal action for ‘deceptive’ political advertisements on single-member districting; GOP rejects accusations. “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s chapter for Alachua County announced …
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