What should I do if I see an alligator?
Keep your distance and leave it alone. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says to keep a safe distance from any alligator you see and never to handle one, even a small one.
Read the answer →Ask 1stFlorida
Is it legal to feed ducks and other wildlife in Florida?
Florida's wildlife feeding rules, as the state lists them, do not name ducks, but they ban feeding several other animals, and the state warns against it.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) lists these rules in the Florida Administrative Code. Rule 68A-4.001 bans feeding pelicans, sandhill cranes and non-human primates, and bans putting out food in a way that draws black bears, coyotes, foxes and raccoons. Rule 68A-25.001 bans feeding alligators and crocodiles. Rule 68A-16.002 bans feeding bald eagles. Feeding sandhill cranes on purpose has been illegal since 2002.
FWC gives these reasons not to feed any wild animal. Human food takes the place of natural food and leaves animals short of what they need, and it can cause young animals to grow abnormally. Feeding crowds animals together, which brings stress and spreads disease. Waterfowl that are fed may migrate late or change their migration. Crowds of animals leave droppings that pollute soil and water. Fed animals lose their fear of people, and FWC says most attacks on people by wild animals have come from people feeding wildlife.
Near water, FWC also says never to feed an alligator and to keep pets on a leash and away from the water.
FWC is the state agency for fish and wildlife; its main office in Tallahassee is at 850-488-4676. To report someone feeding wildlife illegally, call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922. If you are concerned about an alligator, call the toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
Where to go from here.
What should I do if I see a bear?
Stay calm and do not go toward it. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that if your being there changes what the bear is doing, you are too close.
Read the answer →Are there coyotes in Florida?
Yes, coyotes live in Florida, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says they have been documented in all 67 counties.
Read the answer →Where is the birdwatching in Florida?
Florida sits on the Atlantic flyway with the Gulf on one side, so it carries both resident wading birds and everything passing through.
Read the answer →Where this comes from.
- Detriments to Feeding Wildlife, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- Detriments to Feeding Wildlife (PDF handout), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- Living with Sandhill Cranes, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- Living with Alligators, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ↗ Read October 28, 2026
- Muscovy Ducks, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (checked for any duck feeding rule; it has none) ↗ Read October 28, 2026
More questions like this.
What is Spanish moss, and does it hurt trees?
Spanish moss is not a moss and not a parasite: it is a flowering plant in the bromeliad family that hangs from trees and lives on air and rain.
What is the Indian River Lagoon?
The Indian River Lagoon is a 156-mile-long estuary on Florida's east coast, bordered by six counties from Volusia County south to Palm Beach County.
What is Merritt Island, Florida?
Merritt Island is in Brevard County, and its land north and west of Cape Canaveral holds NASA's Kennedy Space Center and a national wildlife refuge.
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