FWC explains release of injured bear into wild

February 19, 2009
Contact: Patricia Behnke, 850-251-2130

•  Frequently Asked Questions

The FWC understands and appreciates the concerns and questions raised by the public regarding the well-being of a wild black bear that was hit by a vehicle in Miami-Dade County Feb. 3.  The decision to release the bear, without surgery, was made based on what the FWC believes was in the best interest of this bear.

Vehicle collisions with black bears in Florida occur all too frequently, with 135 bears hit and killed in a typical year.  In addition, there are numerous non-lethal cases of bears being hit by vehicles.  The FWC’s experience shows that bears are extremely resilient animals that do best when left to heal on their own.  Typically, if a bear is able to leave the roadside and return to natural habitat, even with a broken leg, it is able to heal.  Trapped bears routinely show healed injuries, including broken bones, consistent with vehicle collisions, which is a testament to the animal’s resiliency and tremendous self-healing abilities.

Attempts to rehabilitate wild adult black bears tend to cause the animals tremendous stress and more harm than good.  Wild bears taken into captivity for injury-rehabilitation risk further injury to themselves as they attempt to escape captivity, resulting in broken teeth and claws or worse.  In addition, animals attempt to remove casts or other protective materials applied to their wounds, which results in further injury. 

Keeping wild bears in captivity, even for a short period, brings prolonged contact with people, which can cause the bear to learn to associate people with food, thereby reducing its chances of surviving in the wild.  Wild bears that have lost their fear of people can become a human-safety risk.  In this instance, the FWC did not want to put this bear in a situation where it might be further injured or become a problem in the future.

In this particular case, one possible option that was considered was to have pins and plates implanted in the bear’s leg though surgery, and then release the bear immediately after surgery.   However, wild bears that receive pins or other implements may not favor the injured area, and so put their full weight on the area, increasing the risk of re-injury or causing worse damage.  In addition, the surgery creates an entry point for infection. 

A released wild bear can not be monitored, so if infection occurred, the healing process is slowed or the bone might not heal at all.  Since the risks associated with the surgery were unknown, but the expectations were high that the bear could successfully heal on its own, it was decided the bear should be released without surgical intrusion. 

Bears that are injured and left to their own devices are able to lay-up, which allows the injury to heal.  It is also important to realize that bears in Florida eat primarily vegetation, such as acorns and palmetto berries, as well as insects.  They do not typically hunt; therefore, they are able to successfully sustain themselves, even though they may be slowed down while healing. 

Each case is different and presents unique circumstances that need to be considered.  In this particular case, the FWC stands by its decision to release the bear without surgery, and that decision was made with the best interest of the animal at heart.