Rare Lobsters, Manatee Rescue, Cold Iguana: FL’s Top 2022 Animal News

FLORIDA — As 2022 comes to a close, our furry, feathered and scaled friends made plenty of headlines in the Sunshine State over the past year.

Check out some of Florida’s top animal stories.

Dog Missing For 7 Years Reunited With Owner In Florida

Jazzy, who ran away from her Texas home after she was spooked by fireworks, was found abandoned at an Orange County hotel seven years later and reunited with her family.

Gator Attacks Photographer's GoPro Camera At South FL Preserve: Watch

A large gator attacked the GoPro camera of a photographer visiting Big Cypress National Preserve in Ochopee at the end of April. Bobby Wummer, based in Palm Beach Gardens, shared footage of the gator trying to snack on the camera

Manatee Deaths Focus Of $30M Rescue Effort In Florida

With the announcement in May that Florida is allocating a record amount of money to save the endangered manatee, Florida's nonprofit manatee acute care facilities will receive a much-needed infusion of funds. Gov. Ron DeSantis said that more than $30 million from the Florida budget will be used to enhance and expand manatee rescue and rehabilitation efforts and provide habitat restoration for areas where manatees are highly concentrated.

2 Rare Orange Lobsters Get A New Home At Clearwater Marine Aquarium

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium welcomed two new clawed residents in September – two rare orange lobsters. Whitney’s Fresh Market in Hudson found them in a recent shipment of Maine lobsters and decided to hand them over to the aquarium.

Dolphin Calf Rescued From Crab Trap By Clearwater Beach Lifeguards

A little dolphin calf is under the care of the dolphin care center in SeaWorld Orlando after being found off Clearwater Beach entangled in rope attached to a crab trap. The calf was rescued by lifeguards in July.

'Lost In The Storm': Pets Missing, Reunited After Hurricane Ian

Against all odds, Florida pets were found alive and well following the destruction Hurricane Ian brought to the Gulf Coast and reunited with their families.

Cold Iguana Climbs Christmas Tree After Getting Into FL Home: Watch

In South Florida, during the rare times temperatures drop to around 40 degrees, it’s common to stumble upon “frozen” wild iguanas who are stunned by the cold. This Christmas, as one family celebrated the holiday, one chilly lizard got into their house to escape the frigid weather and climbed their tree. Watch as they try to remove the iguana with a pool skimmer.

Cold-Stunned Turtles Make Way From Frigid Cape Cod To Balmy Tampa Bay

Earlier this month, 20 critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles were rescued off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, after becoming cold-stunned. They were flown to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Tuesday where the Clearwater Marine Aquarium picked up 10 of the turtles for rehabilitation and treatment and The Florida Aquarium transported another 10 turtles to its Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center.

Watch: Gator Carries Dead Python Through Everglades Canal

"Big dead python. Big gator, too," an Everglades City resident said in a video of a gator carrying a dead python through a canal in July.

Lost Dog Runs Free At Tampa Airport For A Week

Rocky the dog slipped out of his collar as he was being loaded into his family's car and ran loose at the Tampa airport for a week in May.