Black bears are out and about - please drive carefully

A young black bear was hit and killed by a vehicle on North Bayshore Drive in Eastpoint late Thursday afternoon.

The male bear was about 60 pounds; it was a yearling, likely just moving away from its mother and trying to find its own territory.

This is an active time of year for Florida’s black bears.

Not only are young black bears looking for territory, but Female bears that gave birth to cubs in January are beginning to move around with their young.

While black bears generally are not aggressive, a mother bear may try to defend her cubs.

As black bears increase their movements this time of year, they also increase the number of roads they cross.

For the safety of yourself and bears, remember to slow down when driving, particularly on rural highways at dawn or dusk.

  

The woods provide bears with all the food they need, but as most locals know – bears will also eat food from dog bowls, garbage cans and anything else that is easy pickings. 

To minimize the chances of black bears wandering into your yard the best thing to do is remove or secure anything that might attract animals, such as garbage cans, pet food, birdseed, outdoor grills and compost bins.

If a bear continues to come into an area after all attractants have been removed then it’s time to call the FWC to trap the bear.

You can do that by calling the FWC's Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

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