FWC biologists have responded several times to this bear during the past week.

“At this point, we’re not planning to trap this bear,” said Eric Dennis, FWC wildlife assistance biologist. “We want to use aversive conditioning such as bean bags fired from shotguns and paint ball pellets to let the bear know that being around people isn’t a pleasant experience.”

This bear isn’t returning to one particular place, so putting out a culvert trap would be ineffective.

The most important thing to remember is, do not entice the bear with food.

“Problems arise when bears have access to unnatural food sources such as pet foods, garbage, barbecue grills, birdseed or livestock feed,” Dennis said. “Bears learn very quickly to associate peoples’ property with food, and this puts the bear at increased risk because of traffic, poaching or management action.”

Black bears normally are too shy to risk contact with humans, but their strong food drive can overwhelm these instincts. Residents can help this bear “move on, ” so it does not become a problem.

“We’re hoping that if people remove the attractants, the bear will return to Paynes Prairie,” Dennis said.

Properly storing or securing garbage is a proven method of discouraging bears. Birdseed and barbecue grills should be stored in a secure place, such as a garage or a sturdy shed. Garbage can be placed outside on the morning of pickup rather than the night before. People can encourage their neighbors, community or local government to use bear-resistant trash containers or dumpsters.

“Another way people can help is to feed pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding,” Dennis said.

Relocating the bear is not a good option, Dennis explained.

“Relocation is stressful to bears and often places them in another bear’s territory. Often, a relocated bear may try to return to its original home and, in the process, cross busy roads, creating a danger for itself and motorists,” Dennis said.

“Another reason not to relocate bears is that it requires chemically immobilizing the animal,” Dennis said. “This subjects the bear to additional stress with no guarantees of how it will react around people before it goes to sleep or how it will handle the drug.” 

“If you see a black bear, remain calm. Don’t run away. Walk calmly toward a building or vehicle and get inside,” Dennis said. “If you have children or pets, bring them inside. Encourage the bear to leave. Bang pots and pans, or blow an air horn or whistle. The more stressful a bear's encounter with you and your property, the less likely it is to come back.”

If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone. Remove people and dogs from the area. The bear usually will come down and leave when it feels safe. This will most likely not occur until after dark.

If the bear is threatening the safety of humans, pets or livestock or is causing property damage, it should be reported to the FWC at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Residents can find out more about living with black bears at MyFWC.com/Bear.

On May 11, Jason Leon was riding late at night in a rural area of southeast Miami-Dade County when he and his passenger spotted the python. About 3 feet of the snake was sticking out of the roadside brush. Leon stopped his car, grabbed the snake behind its head and started dragging it out of the brush. When the snake began to wrap itself around his leg, he called for assistance from others and then used a knife to kill the snake. Leon once owned Burmese pythons as pets and has experience handling this nonvenomous constrictor species.

“Jason Leon’s nighttime sighting and capture of a Burmese python of more than 18 feet in length is a notable accomplishment that set a Florida record. The FWC is grateful to him both for safely removing such a large Burmese python and for reporting its capture,” said Kristen Sommers, Exotic Species Coordination Section Leader for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

Leon reported his python capture to the FWC’s South Region office, which connected him with 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4861), the FWC’s hotline for reporting exotic species. Cheryl Millett of The Nature Conservancy’s Python Patrol Program helped coordinate the response, and Jeff Fobb of the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Venom Response Program arranged to pick up the snake from Leon. Finally, the python was turned over to the University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, where UF staff experienced in working with Burmese pythons performed the necropsy.

“With the help of people like Mr. Leon and our ongoing partnerships with other agencies, the FWC is advancing what we know about Burmese pythons in Florida,” Sommers said. “This event highlights how the Exotic Species hotline allows the public to help us obtain more information about Burmese pythons, so we can improve management of this invasive species. It also reflects the cooperative efforts of the FWC and its partners to address python sightings by the public.”

The public is asked to report sightings of exotic species to IveGot1.org or 888-IveGot1. There is also a free smartphone app: IVEGOT1.

The Burmese python is an invasive species that has negative impacts on the Everglades ecosystem and its native wildlife. The FWC actively coordinates with local, state and federal partners, including university researchers, native tribes and nongovernmental organizations, on the research, management and capture of pythons.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners rescued an approximately 9-month-old female Florida panther in the Golden Gate Estates area of Collier County on Monday.

The FWC received a call about a panther kitten dragging its rear leg. A homeowner noticed the injured panther earlier that morning as he was leaving for work. When he returned home and saw the panther a second time, he notified law enforcement.

FWC panther biologists and law-enforcement officers, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and staff from the Golden Gate Animal Clinic responded to the area where the panther was last seen. They located the panther in thick brush and sedated it.

After an on-scene assessment of the panther’s condition, FWC biologists transported the panther to the Animal Specialty Hospital of Florida. Veterinarians at the hospital determined that the panther had a compound fracture in her rear right leg, rib fractures and bruising around the lung, all of which were likely caused by a vehicle collision. That evening they performed surgery, using a steel plate to mend the bone together.

With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the panther was taken to the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee, where she will receive care until she has fully healed from her injuries and is ready for release.

“We are pleased with what appears to be a successful surgery with no complications,” said Darrell Land, FWC panther team leader. “Thanks to the help of our partners, this panther has a very good chance of returning to the wild. With only 100 to 160 adults and subadults remaining in south Florida, every panther plays an important role in the population.”

Florida residents can support conservation efforts like the rescue and rehabilitation of injured or orphaned panthers by purchasing a panther license plate. Fees from license plate sales are the primary funding source for the FWC’s research and management of Florida panthers.

To report dead or injured panthers, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or #FWC or *FWC on a cell phone.

For more information on Florida panthers go to FloridaPantherNet.org.

The fourth and final group of draft action plans to conserve dozens of Florida fish and wildlife species is ready for public inspection and input, including plans to protect pillar coral and the Southeastern American kestrel.

Since February, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has shared plans to conserve 60 species listed now as state-threatened or species of special concern. While listing status may change for some species once a final Imperiled Species Management Plan is approved by the Commission, all 60 species will be managed by the FWC to maintain or grow their populations to preserve Florida’s wildlife legacy for future generations.

The FWC, in this final group, is releasing draft action plans for 13 species. In addition to pillar coral and kestrel, there are plans for the limpkin, crystal darter, Black Creek crayfish, Santa Fe cave crayfish and seven reptiles that reside in the Florida Keys. The reptiles are the Key ringneck snake, rim rock crowned snake, Florida Keys mole skink, as well as lower Keys populations of Florida brownsnake, Peninsula ribbon snake, red rat snake and striped mud turtle.

The public is invited to go to MyFWC.com/Imperiled to read and comment on the plans for these 13 species, with the last day for public comment being June 21.

The FWC will incorporate public feedback as it revises the 49 action plans covering the 60 species. Plans will identify specific threats, challenges and actions. The next step will be identifying Integrated Conservation Strategies that address common actions benefiting multiple species in areas such as:

• Habitat conservation and management;
• Research and monitoring;
• Incentives and influencing;
• Education and outreach;
• Law and policy;
• Climate change.

“The FWC is conserving species such as the Florida black bear, bald eagle and gopher tortoise by using management plans that address a single species. With the challenge of conserving 60 additional species, the FWC is strategically marshaling its resources in ways that address the species’ common threats and needs,” said Claire Sunquist Blunden, the FWC’s stakeholder coordinator for the Imperiled Species Management Plan. “Once draft species action plans are revised to incorporate public input, the FWC’s work in the coming year will focus on developing conservation strategies that will benefit multiple species.”

Ultimately, the outcome will be an Imperiled Species Management Plan that the FWC will use as a roadmap to work with the public and partners to ensure all 60 species are conserved. The final Imperiled Species Management Plan is scheduled for approval by the Commission in 2015.

Pillar coral is rare in Florida waters, where it ranges from Palm Beach County to the Dry Tortugas. Threats to pillar coral described in the draft action plan include changes in acidity and temperature of ocean water, damage from human activity such as boats and anchoring, and a continuing decline of mature individuals of the species. Pillar coral is being recommended for listing as a threatened species.

Installing additional mooring buoys, so boats do not need to drop anchor near reefs, is one of the suggested conservation actions to protect pillar coral, along with additional research to assess pillar coral population, genetic diversity and reproductive potential. Restoration efforts may include rearing of juvenile pillar coral in nurseries and enhancing reefs with species such as long-spined urchins that benefit overall reef habitat.

The Southeastern American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, is also being recommended for listing as a threatened species. Once found commonly through seven southeastern states, this subspecies now lives primarily in Florida. The kestrel is dependent on using the nesting cavities of other birds such as woodpeckers, but in the absence of naturally created cavities, manmade nesting boxes are acceptable to this bird of prey.

More than 160 nesting boxes for kestrels in Levy and Marion counties have been maintained during the past two decades by biologists from the FWC, University of Florida and University of Nevada-Reno. In 2009, the FWC initiated the Southeastern American Kestrel Partnership, which promotes nest box monitoring programs throughout peninsular Florida.

Future conservation of kestrels will depend on the cooperation of many partners beyond the FWC, including private landowners willing to manage their lands to provide wildlife habitat. Almost any landowner can help by building and putting up nest boxes for Southeastern American kestrels. The most important feature of the nest box is a 3-inch-diameter entrance hole. Go to MyFWC.com/Research, click on “Wildlife” and then on “Southeastern American Kestrel” for information on building a kestrel nest box.

This year is also the 40^th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which was approved by Congress and signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973.

The Florida panther is featured Monday, May 13 on MyFWC Facebook. It is the first of a series of wildlife spotlights this week focusing on the successes and challenges of conserving Florida’s imperiled species.

Visit Facebook.com/MyFWC through Friday to find out more about what it takes to conserve endangered or threatened species in Florida and how you can help.

More on Florida’s endangered and threatened species is available at MyFWC.com/ImperiledSpecies.

The change is being proposed in an effort to reduce the chances of chronic wasting disease (CWD) being introduced into the state. CWD is not known to affect people.

The disease, which has been discovered in 22 states, two Canadian provinces and in South Korea, is a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose. It is similar to mad cow disease, always fatal, and there is no known cure or vaccine for the animals.

The rule-change proposal will go before the Commission at its June 13 meeting in Lakeland, and the FWC encourages all those who have an interest to go to MyFWC.com/Deer and select “Captive Cervids” to read about what is being proposed and offer any comments, questions or concerns they may have.

If the proposal is passed at the June meeting, it would go into effect soon after.

For more information on CWD, go to www.CWD-info.org.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office want residents to know what to do if they see a bear and how to avoid creating problems with one.

“Florida black bears are normally shy creatures that avoid people. Fortunately, the avoidance behavior that bears typically exhibit helps both bears and people coexist without much fanfare,” said Chad Allison, district biologist and bear specialist with the FWC.

Black bears are protected by law in Florida. According to the FWC, the bear population along the west coast, from Hernando County north, is the smallest subpopulation area in the state and most vulnerable to habitat loss – less space in which to forage and roam.

“If you come face to face with a bear, don’t panic, don’t look it in the eye, don’t turn your back and run. Just move away slowly on an angle, making sure that the animal has an escape route. Bears are pretty calm animals and not looking to cause trouble,” Allison added.

Florida black bears are active year-round, opportunistically foraging wherever they can find food.

“However,” Allison warned, “the normal behavior of bears can be short-circuited if people provide these animals with the opportunity to forage in and around their neighborhood.”

When a bear learns there is easy access to food in a human neighborhood, often in unsecured trash, bird feeders or pet food left outside, it is apt to return repeatedly. In fact, once a successful pattern of securing regular meals in a human neighborhood has been established, the bear may learn that humans are not to be feared and that being near them has its rewards.

A bear that chronically returns to homes is not typically relocated because chances are high that the animal will continue to repeat the behavior no matter where it is. Worse, when cubs learn these feeding habits from their mother, they too, sadly, become victims of feeding opportunities they should not have – opportunities that put their lives in danger when human-bear conflicts arise.

The FWC cautions residents to eliminate feeding opportunities by storing garbage in a manner that denies bears access to it, or bears will repeatedly visit that neighborhood to obtain food.

The FWC recommends the following steps to prevent human-bear conflicts:

• 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 barbecue 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.

Ignoring these recommendations also greatly increases the chances that a bear and/or a motorist will be injured as the animal crosses neighborhood streets, looking for food.

Bears seen foraging in trash, pet food or other attractants, or bears that exhibit other destructive behavior, should be reported immediately to the FWC by calling the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922 or, during regular working hours, the FWC’s Lakeland Regional office at 863-648-3200.

If you would like more information on avoiding conflicts with bears, visit MyFWC.com/Bear and click on the video titled “Living with Florida Black Bears.”

This is also the time of year when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) begins getting calls about “abandoned” animals that folks believe may be in need of rescue.

However, these rescues may do more harm than good.

After giving birth, adult wildlife must forage to provide food for themselves and their young. This means leaving their newborns for short periods.

Having some basic knowledge of wildlife and the survival skills animals use can help avoid attempting to rescue animals that don’t need rescuing.

A common target of misplaced rescues is baby deer, temporarily left in a safe place while their mothers feed nearby. Many people who find fawns mistakenly assume they have been abandoned, when, in reality, their parents are in the process of ensuring the infants’ survival.

“In most cases, it is absolutely not in a fawn’s best interest to ‘rescue’ it,” said Allan Hallman, wildlife biologist at the FWC’s Camp Blanding Field Office.

Hallman says what typically happens is someone discovers a young deer waiting for its mother. Often, those fawns are found in palmetto patches or in recently burned areas, where a doe has placed her new offspring for protection. These settings tend to help mask the fawn’s scent, thus providing good protection from the keen nose of a predator.

People discover these seemingly abandoned baby deer and become concerned when the parent is nowhere in sight. The would-be rescuers falsely believe the young animal will perish unless they save it or take it to a wildlife rehabilitation center.

“Unfortunately, actions of this kind usually have the opposite effect of a rescue,” Hallman said. “The stress created by changing the animal’s diet and surroundings is often fatal.

“If the rescued fawn manages to survive, its return to the wild is practically impossible because of human imprinting or a lack of survival skills. If it had remained wild, the young deer would have learned the necessary survival skills from its mother,” Hallman said.

Another way to help with the survival of young animals is to not feed them. Although that may sound odd, feeding can cause problems ranging from poor nutrition to dependence on humans for food and loss of foraging skills, all of which can decrease the critter’s chances of survival.

“These animals have survived for a long time without our assistance. They can continue to survive without handouts,” Hallman said.

The FWC recommends that if you find a fawn or other baby animal, don’t touch it, and quietly leave the area.

Juvenile birds are commonly found on the ground at this time of year, looking a bit dazed or confused. The youngster may be trying to hide in tall grass or in low bushes to avoid being seen by predators. These young birds are going through a process called fledging – learning to fly now that they have adult feathers. During this process, the immature birds sometimes end up on the ground, where they may spend several days before they learn all their flight skills.

“While on the ground, juvenile birds’ parents continue to watch over them, feeding them and helping them learn necessary survival skills. Help the parents by keeping any pets that may harm the young birds indoors during the spring and summer,” Hallman said. “Please don’t interfere in this crucial learning process.”

Here are some important facts that can help determine if a baby bird needs rescuing. According to biologists, the only time a baby songbird should be rescued is when it is on the ground and has almost no feathers, when the bird is injured by pets or its tail is less than a half-inch long, and it cannot hop around on its own.

If you find a baby songbird you are sure needs rescuing, and the nest is low enough for you to safely return it to its home, it’s OK to do that.

“Songbirds have almost no sense of smell, so the young birds can be returned to their nest without much chance of rejection,” Hallman said.

The other approach, when you are sure birds need rescuing and care by a wildlife rehabilitator, is to place the baby in a tissue-lined box that has air holes in the top. Keep the box in a warm spot away from drafts and air conditioning and out of direct sunlight. Do not give it food or water. Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area. The FWC’s North Central Region Office, 386-758-0525, has a list of rehabbers. Many local veterinarians also work closely with wildlife rehabilitators and also can be a good source of advice.

“You can also place the bird in a lined, uncovered, shallow box with drainage and attach the box to the tree from where the bird fell. Sometimes the parents will come to the baby in the new box and feed it there,” Hallman said.

This gives the birds a chance to be raised properly by their parents.

“Most parents will come back to care for the fledgling. Sometimes, however, they reject the chick because of a limited food supply, an inability to care for the young chick, or for other reasons we may not understand,” Hallman said. “If the parents don’t return, then the chick should be taken to a rehab center. Migratory birds are protected and need to be cared for by a licensed facility.”  

The FWC asks you to remember that removing an animal from the wild to save it may actually have the opposite effect. Seek advice from wildlife professionals before attempting to rescue any animal.

“Remember that in most cases, it’s better to leave wildlife wild,” Hallman said.

For more information on Florida’s wildlife and what you can do to help, go to MyFWC.com/Conservation and select “How You Can Conserve” and then “Wildlife Assistance – Injured or Nuisance Wildlife.”

Residents in Panama City living in the area off East Avenue north of 15th Street are being asked to report any sightings of a tegu, a black-and-white lizard with banding on the tail. Tegus are nonnative to Florida.

Anyone who spots a tegu is asked to call the exotic species hotline at 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4681) or report it online at IveGot1.org. If possible, please take a photo and note the location when reporting.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff captured 33 Argentine tegus this past week in this Panama City neighborhood after a local resident called the exotic species hotline. Most of the reptiles captured were adults measuring 3 to 4 feet in length and weighing up to 30 pounds.

“A previous resident in the area had a Class III license, which allowed him to sell tegus,” said FWC Investigator Jerry Shores. “That person left town and abandoned the tegus, which has prompted a criminal investigation. During the investigation, the current residents have been nothing but helpful.”

Shores said most of the exotic lizards were captured within a fenced-in yard. However, some tegus have been reported by area residents a block or so away.

“We do not want anyone to try and capture these reptiles. Instead, we’re asking they report the sighting to 888-IveGot1 (888-483-4681) and if possible take a picture of the tegu,” Shores said.

The black-and-white tegu is native to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. It can be purchased in the pet trade, but like many other nonnative species, it can become established in Florida’s sub-tropical climate if it escapes or is released into the wild.      

The tegu’s diet includes fruit, vegetables, eggs, insects, lizards, rodents and potentially other small animals.

“We know tegus will compete with native wildlife. The FWC is asking for the public’s help if someone spots a tegu in this area of Panama City,” said Kristen Sommers, the FWC’s Exotic Species Coordination Section leader.

Sommers said FWC staff are making routine site visits to the neighborhood and will continue capture efforts this coming week.

Releasing exotic species into Florida’s ecosystem is illegal and can be harmful to native wildlife. If you have a tegu as a pet and no longer want to keep it, please call the FWC or participate in one of the FWC’s Exotic Pet Amnesty Days, where you can turn it in, with no penalty, for adoption.

A fact sheet with photos and information about tegus is available at MyFWC.com/Nonnatives, where information about Exotic Pet Amnesty Days also is available.

The 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. workshop is being offered at the Jackson County Agricultural Center, 2741 Pennsylvania St. There is no cost to attend.

“We believe this is a great opportunity for landowners interested in forestry and wildlife management practices to hear from experts who are knowledgeable about longleaf pines, their value in the timber industry, and how to meet your objectives,” said Ad Platt with The Longleaf Alliance. Platt, who covers north Florida and south Alabama, said he will also talk about various landowner incentive or cost-share programs to promote longleaf pines.

Following lunch, which is provided free of charge to all who register in advance, attendees will tour the Hatcher Farm, outside Marianna on Blue Springs Highway, where both longleaf pine and slash pine forests have been established. Those who take the tour will see the differences between the two forests, which are the same age.

Some of the topics covered at the workshop will include economic and environmental benefits of longleaf pines; native plants and wildlife associated with longleaf forests; prescribed fire and tips for landowners; and how many trees to plant per acre.

Longleaf pine forests were once the dominant forests throughout much of the South, with a natural range extending up to the 2,000-foot elevation in the mountains of Alabama and Georgia. This species, more than any other, built this region.

An estimated 92 million acres of longleaf pines existed when European settlers began moving into the southern states. By the mid-1900s longleaf pine forests were almost eliminated, with only 3 million acres remaining.

“Longleaf is again becoming a common sight across the south, and landowners are choosing this species for both economic and environmental purposes. Recent plantings have increased the acreage of longleaf by more than 4 million acres, and they continue to gather interest,” Platt said.

In addition to The Longleaf Alliance, other partnering agencies putting on the workshop are the University of Florida – IFAS, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Anyone interested in attending is urged to register by calling the Jackson County Extension office at 850-482-9620.