Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area (WMA) protects 2,992 acres of the larger Okaloacoochee Slough ecosystem approximately 30 miles east of
Fort Myers in
Hendry County
Hendry County is a county in the Florida Heartland region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,619, down from 42,022 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is LaBelle.
Hendry County comprises the Clewiston, ...
,
Florida.
Fauna
The wetlands within Okaloacoochee Slough WMA provide habitat for birds such as
wood stork,
glossy ibis,
Florida sandhill crane
The sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis'') is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on ...
,
egrets, and
heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...
s.
Eastern indigo snakes,
bobcat
The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...
s, and various warblers dwell within the pine uplands here. The
crested caracara and
swallow-tailed kite can often be seen flying over wet prairies.
The property is classified as a dispersal zone for the endangered
Florida panther
The Florida panther is a North American cougar (''P. c. couguar'') population in South Florida. It lives in pinelands, tropical hardwood hammocks, and mixed freshwater swamp forests. It is known under a number of common names including Costa R ...
.
Recreational Activities
Sizable populations of
white-tailed deer,
feral hog
The feral pig is a domestic pig which has gone feral, meaning it lives in the wild. They are found mostly in the Americas and Australia. Razorback and wild hog are Americanisms applied to feral pigs or boar-pig hybrids.
Definition
A feral pi ...
,
wild turkey, and small game attract hunters to Okaloacoochee Slough WMA.
Wildlife viewing on this Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail site is popular year-round, with many specialty birds found on the property.
Over 40 miles of unpaved roads are used by hikers, horseback riders, and bicyclists. Camping is permitted at two primitive campsites.
References
{{Reflist
Protected areas of Hendry County, Florida
Wildlife management areas of Florida