The city of Lakeland is adding two more butterfly gardens to the four it already maintains in an effort to help restore the monarch butterfly population. In addition, the city is offering residents free milkweed plants in order to encourage more home butterfly gardens. More
Wildlife officials give several explanations for the rare sightings of two Florida panthers in Lakeland last week (which we noted here), News Channel 8 reports. Development in their South Florida habitat may be driving male panthers north as they search for mates, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. And a ZooTampa specialist said the rebound in panther populations is causing the territorial animals to roam farther as they seek prey. More
A 2-year-old male Florida panther died after being struck along the Polk Parkway in the Lakeland area, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reports. It’s the 11th known death of one of the endangered felines this year; all were attributed to vehicle collisions, Fox 13 News reports. Five were in Collier County, three in Hendry and two in Glades. The Lakeland panther’s remains were found Sunday, according to the Associated Press. RELATED: A Ring camera captured video of a purported Florida panther walking through a back yard near Clubhouse Road Monday morning.
There’s water, water everywhere in Florida but only so many drops to drink and so many ways to pipe those drops from wells to spigots. More
It’s been a relatively mild winter, even by Florida standards, and warm, sunny days with temperatures in the low 90s are forecast for Central Florida in the coming week. But already one of Lakeland’s 37 named lakes is showing signs of heat stress with the Florida Department of Health in Polk County issuing a health alert Monday after blue-green algae toxins were found in samples collected from Lake Crago on Feb. 15. More
It will be 2024’s storm season before NOAA’s Lakeland-based Hurricane Hunters can use the Gulfstream 550 they’ve been seeking, the Associated Press reports. NOAA started trying for the new aircraft in 2019, wanting their fourth storm-chasing aircraft to be active in 2022. The agency’s 2022 budget request includes $100 million for the jet, and delivery is expected to Lakeland Linder Airport in time for the 2024 storm season. | Previous coverage
During the city of Lakeland’s annual swan roundup on Tuesday, Steve Platt of the Parks and Recreation Department took Fox 13’s Elizabeth Fry on his boat to show how he and his co-workers catch the fleeing feathered creatures on Lake Morton. Veterinarians from My Pet’s Animal Hospital are performing the swans’ annual checkups today. More
Police are trying to determine who dumped around four dozen tires in Lake Parker over the July 4 weekend. The city of Lakeland’s Brian Rewis told News Channel 8 it’s the most egregious case the city has seen since establishing a dumping hotline (863-834-DUMP) two years ago. “Once (tires) float out into the lake or sink to the bottom of the lake, they become a hazard for generations because they will not biodegrade,” he told Fox 13 News. | MORE: Lakeland anti-dumping info More
Twenty-nine baby swans have been released into Lake Morton following a successful breeding season, Fox 13 News reports. The challenge for the cygnets is to avoid predators. Assuming many do, the city of Lakeland may hold another swan sale to avoid overpopulation, as it did last fall. More
Imperial Lakes residents are protesting a proposal to rezone 188 acres of the golf course to build up to 940 houses, ABC Action News reports. A petition signed by 125 residents is aimed at protecting wildlife. The golf course’s owner says most of the wildlife are on the back nine holes, part of which is under a conservation easement and cannot be developed. More
