Florida

What are these Florida critters doing there? Take a look at these gator encounters

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

Florida's urban areas have become unexpected arenas for amphibian encounters, as reports of alligators and other reptiles frequently surface.

A 9-foot alligator was found on an expressway while another queued up at a Starbucks drive-thru.

A man was charged for keeping gators in his backyard pool, underlining legal consequences of unauthorized wildlife possession.

Such tales highlight increasing human-wildlife interactions in Florida, driven by habitat encroachment and seasonal behaviors like mating migrations.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

The alligator was found shortly before 5 a.m. March 31, in east Fort Myers, according to police.

NO. 1: LARGE ALLIGATOR SITTING ON FLORIDA BOULEVARD IN DARK HAD BEEN HIT BY A CAR, STATE SAYS

The gator was nearly 11 feet long, officials say. | Published April 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

The Florida Highway Patrol noted it was an example of how troopers never know who they’ll have to rescue.

NO. 2: 9-FOOT ALLIGATOR TAKING THE EXPRESSWAY IS PULLED OVER BY FLORIDA TROOPER, PHOTOS SHOW

“I take it he was trying to get into the high-speed lane.” | Published April 3, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

An alligator was found standing in line at a Starbucks drive-thru in southwest Florida, and somebody called the fire department.

NO. 3: ALLIGATOR QUEUES UP IN STARBUCKS DRIVE-THRU AND GETS PROMPTLY BOOTED, FLORIDA COPS SAY

Dogs get served, why not alligators? | Published May 6, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

Alligators are native to coastal North Carolina, and are a protected game species. Only people with permits can harvest them.

NO. 4: GATORS AND TURTLES FOUND SWIMMING IN POOLS AT MAN’S FLORIDA HOME, COPS SAY

Wildlife officers said they found an alligator skull as well. | Published September 17, 2024 | Read Full Story by olloyd@mcclatchy.comOlivia Lloyd

What’s causing these holes to appear in Florida river banks? It’s an invasive exotic fish, experts say.

NO. 5: MYSTERIOUS HOLES ARE NOW ‘A COMMON SIGHT’ ON FLORIDA RIVERBANKS. WHAT’S CAUSING IT?

“This digging behavior can cause problems.” | Published October 21, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mark Price

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.