Wild Animals of Orlando Florida - Trapping

10.22.2004 - Here's today's catch of wild animals in Orlando Florida. As you can see, I caught a large Boa Constrictor snake! I also caught two opossums and two raccoons. I got the Boa at a residential neighborhood yard, where the homeowners saw the snake slithering along. I removed it for no charge.

I got the first opossum from inside a garbage can - it had climbed in and couldn't get out! I snared it and put it into a trap. I got the second opossum from a trap that I set at the crawlspace entrance of a home. I caught it with orange slices, which possums often seek out for moisture. This possum was living under the house which is a common problem in Orlando. Such animals leave fleas, and they eventually die under the house, causing a big odor from the rotting carcass.

The first raccoon is actually a mother and a baby.  You can see both inside the cage. They were living in the attic space above a detached garage, and the mother had ripped a big hole in the roof. I got the second raccoon at a children's school. The school became concerned because the raccoon was making rounds during the daytime, and they were concerned for the safety of the children. A raccoon probably wouldn't attack, but the school thought, "better safe than sorry" for liability reasons.

All of these wild animals will be safely relocated without harm, far outside the city limits. Except the snake - it's illegal to relocate non-native species, and the boa certainly is not native to Orlando. It's from Central America, and must have been a released pet. I will bring this snake to Snake Getters breeding and snake center.

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Snakes page for tips and advice.
Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Opossums page for tips and advice.
Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Raccoons page for tips and advice.
Get professional help: Visit my Nationwide Pro Directory of wildlife removal experts.

For more wildlife stories, click my Wildlife Blog, or click my below banner to hire a local trapper.


The thing about dealing with wildlife, and to be more precise, wildlife that you don’t want in your home and yard, is that very often there are rules and regulations in your area that you must adhere to. This means that you can’t just go around trapping animals as you see fit and letting them wherever you choose – you must stick to the right rules for your area, and this is something that not many people are that aware of. In Florida, it's illegal to trap and relocate wildlife without a license.

Every state, and in some cases, every city has its own set of rules. Take for example the case of the opossum. It is legal to use traps, but only certain traps – some need a permit. The same applies for setting them free too – you can only do so in certain areas, and this is where most people find themselves in hot water, so to speak.

The thing about wildlife control is that for the most part, it is best left to the professionals. Those that don’t have a clue what they are doing are going to find themselves in a rather sticky situation with the law otherwise. Of course, you can always give the local animal services a call to find out where you stand, or take a few moments out of your day to have a quick browse on the internet to make sure that you are doing the right thing.

The fact of the matter is it is always best to be prepared and to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible, not only to avoid any legal implications, but also just to ensure that you are not wasting time and money trapping a creature that legally, you are not allowed to do so.