Runaway monkey crosses county line into Oldsmar

The runaway monkey's on the move again, this time at an Oldsmar apartment complex, officials said this afternoon.

The 30-pound runaway monkey, likely a macaque, was seen swinging from treetops to rooftops at the Sabal Palm at Boot Ranch Apartments near 1355 Bay Harbor Drive, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Deputies said it can be aggressive and asked that residents report any new sightings.

Deputies can't confirm yet that it's the same monkey-on-the-lam last seen Friday in northwest Hillsborough County. But a map of four separate monkey sightings across Tampa Bay in the last two weeks shows a similar path headed diagonally to the Gulf of Mexico.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it was the same one, and in fact I suspect it would be. Those animals can get around pretty fast," said Gary Morse, spokesman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "How many monkeys have you seen in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties?"

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From Tampabay.com

Two more monkey sightings reported in Hillsborough

TAMPA — Two monkey sightings were reported Friday morning in northwest Hillsborough a couple of hours apart.

It's not clear if the same monkey was seen twice or if this is the same monkey that eluded officials last week, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Vida Morgan.

The first sighting was at 13444 Bellingham Drive at 7:50 a.m., Morgan said. A resident told Sheriff's Office dispatchers that a monkey was sitting on his back porch.

About 10:15 a.m., someone else reported seeing a monkey at 11700 Cypress Nook, about 2 miles away.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officials have been notified, Morgan said.

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From Tampabay.com

Tampa officer saves chicken by shooting pit bull with stun gun

TAMPA — A pit bull's attack on a chicken was thwarted Saturday night when a Tampa police officer shot it with a stun gun.

About 11:20 p.m., Officer Richard Mercado arrived at 1802 N Armenia Ave. to investigate reports of a domestic dispute, police said. It's not clear who was involved in that argument.

When Mercado arrived, a pit bull had entered the house chasing a chicken.

Resident Laticia Policarpo, 19, told Mercado the dog wasn't hers, and she was afraid it would attack her 2-year-old son.

Mercado chased the dog out of the house, but it started attacking the chicken, an incident report states.

Fearing for the bird's life, Mercado fired his stun gun at the dog and was able to move it into his police cruiser. Animal control came to the scene to take the dog to an area shelter. The conditions of the dog and chicken were not immediately available late Monday morning.

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From Tampabay.com.

Officer gets creative in police report about an alligator attack

TAMPA — Police reports are often rich with jargon — phrases like "victim succumbed to his injuries," or "victim advised that defendant did knowingly and willingly enter his home without permission."

Not so for a report filed by Tampa police officer Terry Ashe, who wrote a colorful narrative about an alligator that attacked his city-owned Ford Taurus in Pasco County on Oct. 27.

"As I was driving down the single lane, dirt road, adjacent to an old cemetery, I observed a large, menacing, dark object lying in the road obstructing my right of way," Ashe wrote. "With rain pouring down, mist and fog shrouding my vision, large oak trees laden with Spanish moss hanging down around my vehicle, I was uncertain as to what lay in my path."

Ashe had come upon a big alligator, or in his words, "this menacing man eater."

He eased his vehicle toward the "ancient reptile" to scare him off, but the gator evidently took that as a threat and lurched forward, Ashe wrote.

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Read the rest of the story @ Tampabay.com.

Emergency personnel say two snakes bit man taking trash to waste bin

TAMPA — Two snakes bit a 46-year-old man as he was making a trip to a trash bin outside a local inn, according to Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

John Agan went to the trash outside the Masters Inn at 6626 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd at 1:45 p.m. today when he was surprised by what medical officials believe were a coral snake and pygmy rattle snake, the fire rescue news release said.

The pygmy rattler bit his right shin and the coral snake bit into his right foot, said Will Darnall, a spokesman for the University Community Hospital, where Agan was taken for treatment.

Fire Rescue said hospital workers are waiting on anti-venom from Miami. Emergency personnel did not find the snakes.

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From Tampabay.com

Children unlikely allies in feral hog hunt

In its effort to control Florida's overpopulation of feral hogs, the state has enlisted some unlikely partners: children.

Kids like 9-year-old Cecilia Plummer, a fourth-grader at St. Jude's Cathedral in St. Petersburg. She will be one of 20 children to don gear and rifle for a hog-hunting expedition on a state reserve in Manatee County.

The youth hunt will be a first for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which also touts the event as a way to get kids outside more. Parents will tag along on the free hunts, which will be held on two Saturdays this month.

Little Cecilia is ready.

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Read the rest of the story @ Tampabay.com.

Bear tries not once, not twice, but three times to enter Lee County home

State wildlife officials report that a Buckingham man fired three rounds at a bear which tried three times to get into his house Sunday night.  The bear was unsuccessful at gaining entry to the home and, according to a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman, the homeowner was unsuccessful at shooting the bear, as no blood trail was found.

According to officials, the bear first tried to enter the house through a back door.  It left, and then tried the garage.  It left again, then came back and tried the front door.  The family called 9-1-1 three times about the bear between 9:00 and 9:30 p.m.

“The problem is going to get worse unless the community at-large secures garbage,” the FWC said.

Video included.

Bye bye, Cosmo. Gator grabs another foo-foo dog

One minute, Cosmo the Yorkshire terrier was chasing lizards and ducks at the Estero Country Club while his owner watered rose bushes nearby.  The next minute, an alligator emerged from a golf course pond and snatched Cosmo, whose owner then ran to the water to attempt a rescue but could no longer see the gator.

“I understand the issue with keeping a dog on a leash,” the owner said. “But Cosmo was so happy to be outside hunting these lizards. I never thought there would be an alligator right there.

A trapper later caught the five-foot reptile later; since its belly was already full, officials said, it was unlikely to have eaten the dog -- whose body did, in fact, surface the next day.  Its owner planned to have it cremated.

Iguana-Rid -- just $16.99 for a 32-ounce bottle

We kid you not.

Now, if you are a regular follower of Bizarre Florida, you know that iguanas frequently show up in posts here, and not usually in a flattering way.  They may look cool, but they have an evil reputation -- for being vicious, destructive to foliage, and for breeding prolifically.

Figuring that many people would prefer not to have iguanas in their yards, a Boca Raton man has come up with a unique new product called Iguana-Rid, "the spray that keeps the iguanas away."  According to Mark Streisfeld, Iguana-Rid is basically a brew of nasty substances -- including garlic and red pepper extracts -- that are believed to repel the unwated reptiles. ""It works as a form of harassment. To get the iguanas to leave, you have to make them uncomfortable," Streisfield said.

Scott Hardin, an exotic species specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, isn't so sure. "All I can say is when it comes to iguanas, it will take continuous management," he said. "You can't do one application and walk away."

Other removal alternatives -- trap the animals yourself or call a licensed professional trapper.  But, said Hardin, remember that it's illegal to release the pesky reptiles anywhere but on your own property.

Nest of ants near outlet starts house fire that kills several cats...out of about 80 or so

A large nest of carpenter ants near an electrical outlet sparked a Daytona Beach house fire this morning that killed several cats, according to authorities.  A fire lieutenant told the Orlando Sentinel the ants had constructed a large nest near the outlet, electrically grounded themselves, and started a fire that spread to nearby furniture.  The homeowners managed to escape to the back yard.

Once the fire was under control, firefighters began removing cats from the house.  The lieutenant said they carried out 36 cats, including nine that had died in the fire.  He said there were roughly 80 cats at the residence, including some in cages outside.  The homeowner told the lieutenant that she had initially had just a couple of cats but then began taking in strays, and people began dropping off cats at the house.

According to the newspaper, two cats were taken to a local vet and a couple dozen were transported to the Flagler Humane Society.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal has video.