Local

Alligator hunting season begins in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida’s statewide alligator hunting season started Wednesday with more than 7,500 permits issued this year by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

FWC officials said the annual “alligator harvest” is an effort to help manage the alligator population, which is estimated to be 1.3 million in Florida.

“For over 30 years, the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program has been providing sustainable hunting opportunities throughout the state.,” said FWC in a news release. “The FWC establishes management units with appropriate harvest quotas based on research and proven science to ensure the long-term well-being of the alligator resource.”

Alligators were put on the federal endangered species list in 1967 before they were removed in 1987.

In addition to the hunting permits, FWC also manages the alligator population with the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP).

Anyone concerned about an alligator posing a threat can contact a trapper by calling FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-392-4286.