Hurricane Ian Aftermath: Wildlife Like Alligators, Snakes, Bears May Emerge During One of the State's Worst Calamity, Florida Officials Warn

Florida officials recently warned about the possible emergence of snakes, alligators, and bears during the occurrence of Hurricane Ian, the storm is currently causing devastation on the Florida coast.

Hurricane Ian appears to be one of the state's worst hurricanes. It was expected to make landfall on Wednesday and is now classified as a Category 4 storm, a CBS News report said, with winds between 130 and 156 miles per hour.

Essentially, category 4 hurricanes can result in "severe and catastrophic damages," Newsweek reported. The storm has caused flooding already in areas throughout Key West, with others possible to be extremely affected.

In a statement, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that major storms like Hurricane Ian can result in wildlife becoming more active.

The commission also said that people may be "more likely to see alligators, snakes, and bears," thus reminding the public to "stay alert" and give the animals some space.

Effect of Severe Weather Conditions on Wildlife

Wildlife can turn out to be disoriented during the onslaught of hurricanes because of severe weather conditions. It only means that they could turn up in strange areas, far from their natural habitat.

Florida is home to over one million alligators. Even though they hardly attack humans, they can become aggressive when stressed or provoked.

The severe weather conditions may mean that animals are posing more danger too, to humans than usual.

Typically, alligators live in Florida's wetlands and swamps. If these areas then become overflooded because of the storm, it is possible that they will relocate to unusual places.

Alligators in Florida

Alligators usually live in the state's wetlands and swamps. If these become overflooded due to the storm, it is likely they will relocate to unusual areas.

In its statement, the FWC advised the residents to call officials if they encounter a nuisance alligator-the one that displays threatening behavior.

Additionally, there are six venomous species that consider Florida their home; these are the easter coral snake, the cottonmouth, southern copperhead, and three rattlesnake types. Two bear species are also found in Florida. These, in particular, are the American black bear, and the Florida black bear.

Severe weather conditions can impact all sorts of other wildlife, including sharks. Meanwhile, Ocearch, an ocean research organization that is tracking great white sharks that swim off the coast of America, said that many of their tagged sharks are presently in Atlantic Canada, where tropical storm Fiona is wreaking havoc.

At least one person died during the storm, which is considered one of the most severe tempests that has hit the country.

Tracking Sharks During and After the Hurricane

A spokesperson at Ocearch said that their team is still watching the Shark Tracker to find out what their next moves are, although they are pleasantly surprised by a few of their sharks pinging in right after the occurrence of the Hurricane, one even pinging during the onslaught.

Even though the sharks will pose slightly little danger to humans during this time, Ocearch will keep on tracking the movements of the sharks over the next few days to find out if any of them become displaced.

Report about the recent warning about the emergence of wildlife during the occurrence of Hurrican Ian is shown on News4JAX's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Hurricanes on Science Times.