Welcome Guide | Page 15

City of Port St . Lucie _____ Welcome Guide Page 15

Animal Control

772-871-5042 | CityofPSL . com / AnimalControl

Living with Wildlife

Port St . Lucie is home to a variety of wildlife that have adapted to living in an urban environment . The majority have adapted their way of life around the fast living lifestyles of our residents and are rarely noticed .

However , there are occasions when wildlife and humans interact , and it is important to know and understand their role in our ecosystem . Port St . Lucie Animal Control can help residents identify local wildlife and provide information to ease concerns or remedy potential problems .

Orphaned Wildlife : If You Care , Leave It There Do not touch or handle baby wildlife . The animal ’ s mother is usually nearby feeding or caring for other young . If you believe the animal has been abandoned or its mother killed or injured , contact a wildlife rehabilitation center or dial 911 and request an Animal Control Officer .

Nuisance Wildlife The Florida ’ s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission defines “ nuisance wildlife ” as wildlife that causes ( or is about to cause ) property damage , presents a threat to public safety or causes an annoyance within , under or upon a building . Due to the regulations regarding the trapping and release of “ nuisance wildlife ,” the City of Port St . Lucie Animal Control division cannot provide this service . Any healthy wildlife caught in a trap will be released onto the same property in which it was caught . A resident may contact a licensed wildlife trapper to remove nuisance wildlife . Consult your local telephone directory or myfwc . com for contact information .

Protected Wildlife Florida ’ s imperiled species are fish and wildlife species that meet criteria to be listed as federally endangered , federally threatened , state threatened or Species of Special Concern .

In Florida , the gopher tortoise is listed as threatened . Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law . Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place , and property owners must obtain permits from the FWC before capturing and relocating tortoises .

The Florida sandhill crane is protected by the U . S . Migratory Bird Treaty Act and as a state-designated threatened species by Florida ’ s Endangered and Threatened Species Rule .

Common Florida Wildlife

• Alligators : A trap cannot be used to capture alligators . For alligators longer than 4 feet , the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should be contacted at 866-392-4286 .

• Bats : Some important natural roost sites for Florida ’ s bats are trees with cavities or peeling bark , palm trees , Spanish moss and caves .

• Bobcats : Along with the panther , the wild bobcat is one of two predatory big cats native to the Florida region . Bobcats are found throughout the state from the deepest swamps to suburban backyards .

• Coyotes are found in every Florida county . Coyotes are wherever there is suitable habit , regardless of whether or not they are seen .

• Gopher tortoises are a state threatened species and are protected under the Florida Administrative Code 68A-27 . If their burrows will be impacted by construction or clearing it is important to follow proper permitting procedures to prevent harm to these tortoises .

• People may inadvertently put sandhill cranes at risk by feeding them . When cranes are fed , they learn to associate people with food and can lose their fear of humans . Also , help protect cranes by slowing down and watching for cranes crossing the road when you are driving , especially during breeding season . Learn more at https :// myfwc . com /.

Community Cat Program

Free-roaming cat populations , sometimes referred to as “ community cats ,” generally consist of a mixture of truly feral cats , semi-socialized cats and lost and abandoned pets .

The City of Port St . Lucie has adopted the practice of Trap Neuter Vaccinate and Return ( TNVR ) to resolve the concerns associated with feral and community cats and stem their ability to multiply .

Trap-neuter-vaccinate-return ( TNVR ) is the internationally accepted , effective and humane method of controlling free-roaming cat populations . It is a non-lethal alternative to the trap-and-kill method of attempting to manage cat populations .

Learn more at CityofPSL . com / Cats .