According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), crocodiles are making a comeback in the Sunshine State.
For many, the word “crocodile” conjures scenes from the wilds of the Australian outback. As previously reported by The Epoch Times, the U.S. Census Bureau just announced that Florida is the fastest-growing state in the country. Therefore, as Florida’s human population grows and development continues to expand, more sightings of these ominous creatures are likely.
Florida now has an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 adult crocodiles, an increase from the estimated 300 in 1975, according to the state’s fish and wildlife agency.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downgraded the American crocodile status in Florida from “endangered” to “threatened” in 2007. In the announcement of the change, the Fish and Wildlife Service said “the endangered designation no longer correctly reflects the current status” of this distinct vertebrate population segment “due to a substantial improvement in the species’ status.”…