wildlife

Interpol has announced a major crackdown on environmental crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, leading to 233 arrests. The operation uncovered links between Amazon deforestation and companies across several continents. Over two months, authorities targeted illegal logging, gold mining, and wildlife trafficking in nine countries. They identified 60,000 hectares of illegally cleared forest.

Over the past two years, the Service has lost more than 170 employees in Florida, accounting for about half of the state’s federal wildlife workforce.

The Florida scrub jay is found only in the Sunshine State. A recent move of 48 young jays to an already established bird colony has scientists optimistic about their future.

Floating tentacled predators pulse and swirl in hypnotic patterns in the dark museum space, lit primarily by images projected on walls and the light from the saltwater tanks.

A female loggerhead sea turtle, named after the 1980s rock icon was found on the beach with her hind end missing after being hit by a boat.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Wednesday issued a temporary ban on importing sloths into the state, following public outcry that arose over dozens of animal deaths connected to Sloth World.

Disease and cold temperatures killed nearly 30 sloths at a Florida import warehouse in 2024 and 2025, according to a state report.

The pair of burrowing owls stowed away on a cruise ship at PortMiami last year and sailed to Spain. Planning their return took coordinating a dizzying list of international trade authorities, wildlife permitting and quarantine rules.

A state judge denied the temporary preliminary injunction sought by Bear Warriors United, which argued the hunt authorization was based on outdated data and will harm the bear population in Florida — right now estimated at around 4,050.

Scientists used tiny new sensors to follow the insects on journeys that take thousands of miles to their winter colonies in Mexico.

“These amazing snakes are hidden gems of the Southeast, but if they don’t get Endangered Species Act protections soon there’s a real chance they could go extinct,” said Jeremiah Scanlan, a legal fellow at the Center, in a statement.

In a recent brief, FDEP disputes that the department, which in recent years gained permitting authority over septic systems, has violated the Endangered Species Act.