Hurricane Irma has left devastation in its path across the Caribbean and Southern Florida, as has Hurricane Harvey in Texas. But it has also created another interesting conundrum: dangerous wildlife fleeing the storm and seeking shelter in city streets.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Health sent out a tweet warning people about dangerous wildlife that may be roaming the streets of people’s home towns. And a man filmed a rather large alligator in Melbourne, Florida over the weekend.
After storms, be alert to wildlifesnakes, alligators, etc. may have been displaced as a result of strong winds or rain. #Irma
— Florida Dept. Health (@HealthyFla) September 11, 2017
Thankfully, places like “Gatorland, a Florida wildlife reserve and home to an assortment of reptiles and poisonous snakes sent out a release reassuring the public that none of its animals had escaped as the entity moved its animals indoors prior to Irma making landfall.
Many less-dangerous species of wildlife have also had a rough go of it. The Wildlife Center of Texas has apparently been inundated with calls about deer, squirrels, birds of prey and waterfowl being overwhelmed or stranded by the flooding.