Florida law strictly prohibits feeding alligators, crocodiles, bears, sandhill cranes, raccoons, and foxes. Under Florida Statute 379.412, intentionally feeding an alligator or crocodile is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a 500 dollar fine. Orlando has abundant urban water bodies including Lake Eola where wildlife feeding incidents are taken seriously. Feeding waterfowl bread is discouraged as it harms birds and creates sanitation problems at city lakes.
Florida has unusually strict wildlife feeding laws because human-fed wildlife loses its fear of people and becomes dangerous. FS 379.412 makes it a crime to intentionally feed or entice with feed any alligator or crocodile in the wild. FWC Rule 68A-4.001 prohibits feeding bears, raccoons, sandhill cranes, foxes, and pelicans. Orlando residents around the chain of lakes including Lake Eola, Lake Ivanhoe, and Lake Underhill encounter alligators regularly, and feeding them creates a public safety emergency. Once an alligator associates humans with food it must typically be killed by a contracted nuisance trapper. The city posts no feeding signs at Lake Eola and other parks. Orange County also enforces against feeding stray animals when it creates rat infestations or wildlife attractants.
Feeding alligators or crocodiles under FS 379.412: second-degree misdemeanor, up to 60 days jail and 500 dollars. Feeding bears, sandhill cranes, raccoons, foxes, pelicans under FWC rules: 100 dollar fine for first offense, escalating for repeat. Feeding causing nuisance: Orlando code enforcement fines up to 500 dollars per day.
Orlando, FL
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