WILDLIFE
AVOID AT ALL COSTS
It’s best to look but don’t touch or feed
when encountering wildlife
Springtime means life is refreshed and that includes all kinds of wildlife. Warmer
weather brings critters out of their hiding places in search of food. It also is breeding
season. There are babies in nests and protective parents on the prowl.
Residents will no doubt see some intriguing creatures wandering their neighborhoods,
yet no matter how curious, the message is clear: Stay away.
Sgt. Bryan Lloyd, an animal control supervisor for the Port St. Lucie Police Department
who has been on the job for 15 years, says the best advice is don’t touch, don’t feed.
In some parts of Florida, panthers, deer and bears share the habitat with humans, but
thankfully it’s the smaller kinds that people normally run in to in this area. Bobcats, foxes
and skunks are well adapted to development in Port St. Lucie along with raccoons, opossums
and armadillos, an introduced species.
LOOKING FOR HANDOUTS
Port St. Lucie has an ordinance against pet peacocks outside of agricultural areas. The
wild birds can be seen around town mesmerized by their reflection on storefront doors >>
26 Port St. Lucie Magazine
DEBRA MAGRANN
Peacocks freely roam in many areas in Port St. Lucie. The nonnative birds have multiplied to the point where communities seek ways to remove them.
BY DEBRA MAGRANN