MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – There’s a quote from American author James Rollins that reads, “Always respect Mother Nature. Especially when she weighs 400 pounds and is guarding her baby.”
Rollins was, of course, referring to the rotund, rather fluffy exterior of a bear.
As we enter into the hot, steamy summertime in the Sunshine State, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says these omnivorous creatures are showing their faces to the people of North Central Florida a bit more often than usual.
On Tuesday, FWC was called to extract a juvenile black bear after receiving multiple reports of the bear in Lake Eola Park located in Downtown Orlando. FWC eventually trapped the bear safely after it walked in and out of traps for hours.
Florida State Rep. Anna Eskamani released a video on X showing FWC releasing the black bear into the Ocala National Forest later that same night.
Last Thursday, the Ocala Police Department posted on Facebook that they were aware of a black bear wandering around the Woodfields neighborhood. OPD said FWC was working on trapping the bear to return it to a more suitable location.
With the influx of black bear sightings, FWC released a statement on the recent bear activity in North Central Florida.
“The FWC’s Bear Management Program is aware of recent sightings of a bear in Ocala. In most cases, it is best for bears to be given space and to move along on their own,” said FWC.
The FWC says juvenile black bears might be seen in unexpected areas as they leave their mothers’ home ranges in search of new locations of their own to settle down.
“Juvenile or yearling bears – between the ages of 1½ -2½ – start dispersing in spring and summer each year,” said the FWC’s Bear Management Program Coordinator, Mike Orlando.
FWC says seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm, as long as you make sure to give it space, don’t try to approach it, and don’t feed it.
According to the FWC, black bears are not generally aggressive, but rather defensive. If they feel threatened, their chances of attack increase tenfold. Animals such as dogs are known to provoke a defensive attack from black bears. Statistics compiled by the FWC show that dogs have been involved in over half of the incidents of people being injured by bears in Florida.
If you walk your dogs, FWC recommends keeping your four-legged companion close – ideally on a non-retractable leash – and to be aware of your surroundings. The FWC says before letting your dog out at night in your yard, flip lights on and off and bang on the door to scare off bears and other wildlife.
Each year in Florida, FWC estimates an average of 300 bears are killed after being hit by vehicles. The FWC reminds you to slow down while driving, especially on rural highways otherwise not well lit around the night-to-early morning hours.
To keep bear away from your home, FWC says remove the temptation of food. Here are just a few suggestions from the experts:
- Store garbage in a sturdy shed or garage. Put it out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before.
- Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
- Don’t leave bird feeders out at night.
- Feed pets indoors.
- Clean and degrease grills and smokers after each use.
To learn more about bears and how to avoid conflicts with them, visit the FWC’s website and BearWise.
Contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) to report bear incidents; observe a sick, injured, dead or orphaned bear; or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them.