Living in Bear Country: Find out About Black Bears in Florida!

[Teresa]

Living in Bear Country
For many people seeing a black bear is a thrilling, rewarding experience. The presence of bears is not necessarily a problem or a threat to your safety. But it is important to remember that bears are wild animals and deserve respect. If you are not careful, you could break the law and risk both your own safety and the bear's. Follow this advice closely to keep the bears wild and your property secure.

It is important to keep the temptation of garbage away from bears, because the more " food conditioned" (dependent on a food source) they become, the more likely they are to frequent residential areas and cause property damage to get these unnatural food sources.

Bears are very intelligent animals that can be attracted into residential and other human-occupied areas. Over time, they become "habituated," and gradually lose their fear of humans. These bears will usually return more frequently and tend to become bolder around people.

Once bears find an area that has food they will continue to forage in the area until the food source is removed. It takes some time (up to several weeks) even after preventative methods have been implemented before the persistent bear will understand that the food source is no longer available.

Preventing access to food is the most important thing you can do to keep bears wild and out of your neighborhood.
The more a bear becomes dependent on unnatural foods, the less likely its chances of survival. Once bears lose their fear of people, there is often little hope to make the bear wild again. These habituated and food conditioned bears are often killed, either by vehicle collisions, illegal shooting, or as a result of bear management actions to keep the community safe.

People ask why problem bears can't simply be relocated to a "wilderness area where they won't bother anyone." Unfortunately, areas that are large and remote enough to move bears where they won't encounter people are rare in Florida. Relocated bears typically leave the new area, either to return to their original home or to leave an area already occupied by other bears. Some bears will wander through unfamiliar areas and cross busy roads, creating a danger to the bear and to motorists.
Bears that do remain in the relocation area often exhibit the same problem behavior, which just shifts the problem to a new community. As a result, relocation is not an effective solution to bear conflicts.

Wildlife biologists can provide free technical advice to residents who live in bear country to help them take actions that will discourage the bears from becoming a problem in the first place. The FWC is committed to ensuring the long-term wellbeing of the black bear while addressing property damage and safety concerns of residents and visitors to our state.

It is easy to live in harmony with bears and save their lives by simply securing the temptation of trash and other attractants. There are several ways to do this: get volunteers to build a caddy (or shed) to protect your garbage cans; secure your trash within a bear-resistant container; put up an electric fence around livestock or beeyards; and any of these other successful options.

Find out more about black bears and other wildlife in Florida at Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission!

Many sitings have been reported by locals on www.SoWal.com/forum
over the last few years (search black bears). We love our bears and we definitely respect their space but we do need to be aware...

Find out more...
http://www.myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/black-bears/

 

[Teresa]

Black bears hyperactive during fall

Fall is an active time of year for Florida black bears as they stock up on calories for the coming winter. Though black bears don’t really need to put on pounds to survive the state’s usually mild winters, they behave as if they do need to – eating about three times as much as usual.
Because bears now are busy filling their bellies, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) asks people to be extra diligent in securing food sources around their homes and businesses that can attract bears and create problems.

“If you are a Florida black bear, raiding a garbage can to eat stale doughnuts and the leftovers from last night’s spaghetti may be more appealing than foraging in the woods for palmetto berries and acorns,” said David Telesco, the FWC’s bear management program coordinator. “Preventing bears’ access to food is the most important thing people can do to keep bears and other wild animals out of neighborhoods.”

In autumn, bears begin a natural process called hyperphagia, which means they are putting on fat for the winter. They will consume around 25,000 calories a day and eat almost anything that’s convenient. The easier a food item is to get, the more likely it is that a bear will take advantage of it – and a bear’s sense of smell is so keen it can detect food more than a mile away.

Bear-related calls to the FWC are up this year in many parts of the state. Since January in central and south Florida, the FWC has documented the highest number of calls per month on record for six of the past nine months. Calls in other parts of the state also are relatively high this year.

“Now more than ever we are relying on residents to keep bears from getting rewarded for being in neighborhoods,” Telesco said.

To keep bears away from your home and neighborhood, follow these tips:

• Feed your pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
• Secure household garbage in a shed, garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
• Put household garbage out on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
• Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters consisting of metal lids or metal-reinforced plastic lids and lock bars.
• Clean grills and store them in a locked, secure place.
• Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
• Protect gardens, apiaries, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
• Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute ordinances on keeping foods secure that would attract wildlife.

“Conflicts between Florida black bears and people are preventable,” said Telesco. “Most people who follow the FWC’s advice on how to bear-proof their homes and businesses don’t have conflicts with these large and powerful wild animals.”
Go to MyFWC.com/Bear to learn more about living in bear country.