ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida’s statewide alligator harvest began Wednesday.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued more than 7,500 permits to help manage the alligator population.
Recommended Videos
Recreational alligator hunting is one part of the FWC’s overall approach to managing gators.
The FWC’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program is another. People who believe a specific alligator poses a threat to people, pets or property should call FWC’s toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR. When someone concerned about an alligator calls the Nuisance Alligator Hotline, the FWC dispatches a contracted nuisance alligator trapper to resolve the situation.
Alligators are a conservation success story in Florida, FWC said. Gators were included on the original federal endangered species list in 1967, but conservation efforts allowed the population to rebound, and they were removed from the list in 1987.
As of August 2018, the state’s alligator population is estimated at 1.3 million alligators.
Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida, wildlife officials said.