County commissioners got to see a presentation on black bears this week. FWC black bear outreach specialist Maria Williams gave the board a power point presentation on black bears where she pointed out that conflicts between black bears and humans are relatively common in our area but they would be much less so if humans would take a few simple precautions. There are an estimated 400 to 700 black bears in the area that reaches from Bay County to Taylor County and an estimated 3000 statewide. For the most part the bears stick to the woods where they eat vegetation and every now and then a dead animal or an animal that’s dumb enough to play dead. They have an amazing sense of smell, however, and can smell your trash can and pet food and unwashed barbecue grill from a mile away which is why so many bears can be found in neighborhoods. If bears find unprotected trash cans they will eat any food they find there and they will return to get more so the most important step a homeowner can take is to get a garbage can that is black bear resistant. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some hardware that will allow you to retrofit most garbage cans – they give the hardware away for free at festivals including this weekend’s seafood festival. You can also get a bear resistant can from the Waste Pro garbage company which provides trash service in Franklin County. The other problem is if you have a neighbor who actually feeds bears then the bear will continue to return to inhabited areas and worse yet will lose its fear of humans which can lead to dangerous situations. It is illegal to feed black bears in Florida just as it’s illegal to feed alligators but if someone is determined to do it there’s not much you can do about it except turn them in. If the bear becomes too used to humans it will likely by euthanized. Don’t try to shoot the bear yourself – killing a black bear in Florida can lead to a 5000 dollar fine and up to 5 years in jail. If you do find yourself in a situation where the black bear continues to return to your yard no matter how well you hide your trash and clean your grill you can call the FWC for assistance. Their number is 850-265-3676 – they will try to make sure that you have taken all steps possible before sending someone out to capture the bear. And if you find yourself in close contact with a black bear – the FWC has a few recommendations. Never play dead; never run from the bear and never make eye contact with bear. They recommend backing away slowly while facing the bear. Remember there has never been a predatory attack by a black bear on a human in Florida but some people have been scratched and bitten.
You can find out much more about living with black bears by clicking HERE.
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