Florida Panther & Bobcat Capture and Management Services

Background
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is responsible for the recovery, management, and conservation of wildlife in Florida, including the endangered Florida panther. The goal of this contract is to obtain competitive responses for locating and live capturing Florida panthers and bobcats to assess their health status, collect biological samples, and monitor their populations.

The Commission seeks qualified vendors with expertise in animal safety and capture techniques.

Work Details
The contractor will provide personnel, trained hounds, and equipment necessary for the location, capture, handling, management, study, and survey of Florida panthers and bobcats. Specific requirements include:
1. Experience in identifying puma sign and safely live-capturing pumas and bobcats.
2. A vehicle capable of pulling equipment up to 6,000 pounds.
3. Ability to drive 4-wheel drive vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and swamp buggies.
4. Maintenance of accurate records regarding capture activities.
5. Provision of trained hounds that are vaccinated against rabies and other diseases.
6. Compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols during capture operations.
7. Participation in a team effort with FWC personnel during capture events.

Period of Performance
The contract will be effective for one year from the issuance of the Purchase Order with an option to renew annually for up to three additional years based on satisfactory performance.

Place of Performance
The services will be performed primarily in remote natural areas across Florida where panther captures are conducted.