Get Ready For Alligator Hunting with Florida Classes

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is offering alligator hunters no-cost, three-hour classes to help them prepare for the Aug. 15 – Nov. 1 statewide alligator harvest. Reservations are not required to attend a class.

Attendance is not mandatory for licensed hunters, but the FWC recommends that participants attend, especially if they have not previously hunted for alligators. Class topics include preparing for the hunt, hunting techniques and safety, harvesting and processing, caring for your alligator hide and alligator hunting rules and regulations. Also, people who do not have an alligator harvest permit can attend if they want to learn what hunting alligators is all about.

Classes will be offered at the following locations:

•  July 29 (Wednesday), 6-9 p.m., Gainesville, Paramount Plaza Hotel and Suites, 2900 S.W. 13th St. For directions, call 352-377-4000 or visit www.paramountplaza.com.
• Aug. 1 (Saturday), 1-4 p.m., Dania Beach, IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum, 300 Gulf Stream Way. For directions, call 954-922-4212 or visit www.igfa.org.
• Aug. 2 (Sunday), 2-5 p.m., Okeechobee, Okeechobee County Civic Center, 1750 U.S. Hwy 98 North. For directions call 863-462-5195.
• Aug. 5 (Wednesday), 6-9 p.m., Tallahassee, Bryant Bldg., 2nd floor auditorium, 620 S. Meridian St. For directions, call 850-488-3831.
• Aug. 8 (Saturday), 1-4 p.m., Tampa, Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. Hwy. 301 N.; use the Orient Road entrance. For directions, call 800-345-FAIR (3247) or visit www.floridastatefair.com.
• Aug. 9 (Sunday), 2-5 p.m., DeLand, Wayne G. Sanborn Activities Center, 751 S. Alabama Ave. For directions call 850-488-3831 or visit www.deland.org/parks/wayne.htm.

All hunt permits have been sold for this year; however, alligator trapping “agent” permits are available for $52. Agent permits enable permit holders to assist a licensed trapper in taking alligators.

For more information on these exciting alligator hunts, visit MyFWC.com/gators and click “Statewide Hunts.”

Great Florida Quilt; The Ocean’s Daughter

Just some fun stuff on Etsy. It’s a Florida-made and Florida theme quilt called The Ocean’s Daughter.

See how to buy it at www.etsy.com

Read more

Visit Cafe Bustelo In Miami’s South Beach

MIAMI – If you want to take a bit of Cuban Florida home, grab a package of Cafe Bustelo coffee to take home.

The espresso coffee is a Florida classic, made even more interesting because they sell a canned chilled version of the drink, and have a Cafe Bustelo shop at the Hotel Gaansevort. Read more

Python Killed Florida Girl By Asphyxiation

Asphyxiation is the preliminary cause of death of Shaianna Hare (DOB 05-20-2007), the 2-year-old Sumter County girl found dead in her crib with the family’s Burmese python wrapped around her body Wednesday morning, according to Lt. Bobby Caruthers of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.

“The medical examiner’s preliminary report lists asphyxiation as the cause of death and confirmed the marks on the girl’s head and arms are bite marks,” Caruthers said at a press briefing in Bushnell today.

Meanwhile, the python is being cared for at an undisclosed facility licensed to possess this type of snake.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) investigators removed the python and a red-tailed boa constrictor from the residence yesterday after the snakes’ owners voluntarily signed them over to the State of Florida.

A veterinarian examined and treated the python’s stab wounds, and the snake is recovering at the undisclosed facility, where it will remain until officials complete the investigation into the child’s death.

“At this point, the snake is evidence in the case. However, once the case has been concluded, it will be offered as a donation to the facility that is currently caring for it,” said FWC investigator Janice Jones.

The Burmese python, classified by the FWC as a Reptile of Concern, had been stabbed by Charles Jason Darnell (DOB 03-26-77) after he found it wrapped around little Shaianna, his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, Wednesday morning. Darnell said the snake had escaped its cage sometime during the night.

State law requires that people have permits to possess Burmese pythons, or any Reptile of Concern. Neither Darnell nor his girlfriend, Jaren Ashley Hare (DOB 09-08-89), had a permit for a snake. A permit costs $100 annually, and those wishing to possess such an animal must show on their application their understanding of animal husbandry, nutrition and caging requirements for the particular animal.

One requirement for a Reptile of Concern is that it must be kept under lock and key. The snake was not.

FWC investigators are working in conjunction with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the State Attorney for the 5th Judicial Circuit, which covers Sumter, Lake, Marion, Citrus and Hernando counties. The FWC’s role is to investigate and recommend any charges relating to violations of the captive wildlife rules. Such violations are second-degree misdemeanors, which are criminal and carry a maximum penalty of $500 fine and 60 days in jail.

Meet Michael Jackson’s Bubbles In Florida

WAUCHULA – While Michael Jackson is no more, his famous chimp, Bubbles, lives in Florida at The Center for Great Apes.

The center started in 1984, when founder Patti Ragan spent time at rehabilitation project for wild orangutans in Borneo. Later, and living in Miami and with that knowledge, she was asked to care for an orangutan at a Miami tourist attraction. When she could not find a home for it at a zoo, she decided to open a nonprofit to make a home for primates herself. Read more

State Investigates Killer Python Death

OXFORD - The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Sumter County residence on Wednesday morning after receiving a call that a snake was strangling a child. When the officers arrived on the scene, the child was dead, and the snake was found under furniture, having been stabbed by its owner.

Charles Jason Darnell (DOB 03-26-77) told officers he placed his 8-foot, 5-inch albino Burmese python in a bag and put it in an aquarium Tuesday night. When Darnell woke in the morning, he said he discovered the snake had escaped from both the bag and the aquarium. He told investigators that he discovered the python on top of Shaiunna Hare, age 2, and then he stabbed the snake before calling 911, according to Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bobby Caruthers.

Darnell is the boyfriend of the child’s mother, Jaren Ashley Hare (DOB 09-08-85). Two older children were also in the residence at the time of death. They were unharmed.

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation with help from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

“This is a very sad situation,” said Sheriff Bill Farmer. “We’ve never had anything like this in Sumter County or even Florida. To keep a large, unsecured snake in the house is just asking for trouble.”

Burmese pythons are classified as Reptiles of Concern, and their owners must secure permits from the FWC’s Captive Wildlife Section to keep them as pets. Approximately 450 licensees currently are permitted to possess Reptiles of Concern and/or venomous reptiles in Florida. The license costs $100 per year and mandates specific caging specifications and other requirements. Permits are issued to individuals at specific locations. No permit had been issued to Darnell or the residence in Sumter County. It is a second-degree misdemeanor to possess a Reptile of Concern without a permit.

Burmese pythons pose little risk to humans, and there have been no other documented attacks in Florida. Documented human attacks by pythons in the United States have involved the snake’s owner or immediate family.

The snake was alive when officers removed it from the house on Wednesday afternoon. Investigators still are gathering information in the case.

Girl Killed By Python

OXFORD - A toddler was strangled by a Burmese python in Oxford, Florida today. Oxford is in Sumter County, south of Ocala and west of  Orlando. The snake apparently escaped from a fish tank and killed the girl; it has not been found.

The issue of invasive species is a growing problem in Florida. In June in Cape Coral, police heading to a house to investigate a beating found a house with a collection of exotic reptiles, including baby rattler and alligator hatchlings.

Last fall, law enforcement officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission removed a Burmese python from Indiantown Road near Sierra Square Plaza in Jupiter Farms.

Burmese pythons are classified as “reptiles of concern” by the FWC. People possessing any of these species must have an FWC permit and pay an annual fee of $100. Owners of pet reptiles of concern must also meet strict caging and facility requirements.

Florida’s warm climate and rare freezes make tropical pets a nuisance; the Everglades have been overrun by Burmese pythons which were unleashed in hurricanes and now breed on their own.