Davie, FL Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Davie's animal code does not establish its own anti-wildlife-feeding provision; this subject is governed by state law administered by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Under Florida Administrative Code 68A-4.001, it is illegal to intentionally feed pelicans, sandhill cranes, and non-human primates, and to place food or attractants in a manner that attracts black bears, coyotes, foxes, and raccoons. Separate FWC rules make it unlawful to feed alligators and other crocodilians (68A-25.001) and bald eagles (68A-16.002). Feeding such wildlife habituates animals to people, creates safety hazards, and is treated as a serious matter in Florida. Penalties are set by Section 379.412, Florida Statutes, which the Legislature amended to create a tiered structure for violations of FWC's feeding rules: for bears, alligators, and other crocodilians, a second violation is a second-degree misdemeanor, a third is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a fourth or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony. Sandhill cranes - which are common in Davie's open and equestrian areas - are specifically protected, and feeding them is against state law. Residents who encounter nuisance wildlife should contact FWC rather than feed or relocate animals themselves. The Town's general nuisance provisions could also apply where feeding attracts pests or creates a public-health concern, but the operative prohibitions and penalties for feeding wildlife are state rules, not a Davie ordinance.