Wildlife

Nearly 20 acres of wildlife habitat are being lost to development every hour in Florida, forcing people and animals into closer and closer contact. As wildlife habitat gives way to urban sprawl, many of the former animal residents don't run away, but adapt with great resourcefulness to their new circumstances. When resulting conflicts between people and wildlife occur, the offending animals are usually trapped, shot, hooked, or poisoned. While killing wild animals may offer short term solutions, in the long run it is ineffective, inhumane, and ecologically unsound.

As Florida residents, each of us has a responsibility to protect our wildlife. Because the truth is, we cause our wild neighbors far more trouble than they do us - as each day we invade thousands of acres of their territories, destroy their homes, and terrorize them with motor vehicles and even brutal weaponry.

Fortunately, there are precautions people can take to reduce potential conflict with wild animals and spare them unnecessary injury and suffering.