Tarpon Springs follows Florida law prohibiting the intentional feeding of alligators and certain wildlife, and city nuisance rules discourage feeding ducks or other animals when it creates sanitation, safety, or property concerns.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rules (Fla. Admin. Code 68A-4.001) make it a second-degree misdemeanor to intentionally feed or entice alligators, and similar rules apply to bears, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These statewide rules apply throughout Tarpon Springs, including waterfront neighborhoods along the Anclote River and Lake Tarpon. The city's Chapter 4 nuisance and sanitation provisions also reach feeding practices that attract rodents, create odors, or generate accumulations of feed and droppings. Residents should keep pet food indoors, secure trash cans, and avoid creating attractants for wildlife near homes, parks, and waterways.
FWC misdemeanor citations for feeding protected wildlife, plus city code enforcement actions for sanitation and nuisance violations.
See how other cities in Pinellas County handle wildlife feeding.
See how Tarpon Springs's wildlife feeding rules stack up against other locations.
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