Bears in your area? Follow these tips
Juvenile black bears may be seen in unexpected areas this time of year as they leave their mothers’ home ranges in search of new locations of their own to settle down. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) shares annual reminders on how to be BearWise® as bears become more active.
“You might be surprised where you’ll find juvenile bears this time of year,” said Mike Orlando, FWC Bear Management Program Coordinator. “Wherever you see them, give them plenty of space and don’t approach or feed them so they’re encouraged to leave the area on their own.”
Follow these BearWise® tips to help prevent conflicts with bears:
Secure food, garbage and recycling.
Remove bird feeders when bears are active.
Never leave pet food outdoors.
Clean and store grills and smokers.
Alert neighbors to bear activity.
During this time of year, black bear sightings increase in suburban and urban areas, as well as other areas across the state. Seeing a bear in a neighborhood is not necessarily cause for alarm. However, it is important that people secure food attractants to prevent bears from lingering in the area. Generally, if a bear cannot find food and is given space, it will move on. It is also illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that attracts them.
Black bears are not generally aggressive, but like any wild animal, if they feel threatened, they can become defensive. Dogs have been involved in over half of the incidents in which people were injured by bears in Florida. When walking dogs, keep them close to you – ideally on a non-retractable leash – and be aware of your surroundings, which is good practice for preventing conflicts with any wildlife. Before letting your dog out in your yard at night, flip the lights on and off and bang on the door to give bears and other wildlife a chance to leave the area.
As bears become more active this time of year, they cross more roadways. For your own safety and to avoid hitting bears and other wildlife, remember to slow down when driving, particularly on rural highways at dawn or dusk. Watch for road signs identifying bear crossing areas. An average of 300 bears are killed annually in Florida after being hit by vehicles.
Having conflicts with bears? Please call the FWC regional office closest to you. To find the phone number for your region, go to MyFWC.com/Contact, and click on “Contact Regional Offices.”
If you spot an injured, orphaned or dead bear, feel threatened by a bear, or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
More information is available at MyFWC.com/Bear, where you can access the “Guide to Living in Bear Country” brochure. Find additional ways to be BearWise® at BearWise.org. Forty-five states, including Florida, support BearWise®, an innovative program that helps people learn ways to live responsibly with bears. Support conservation of bears and other wildlife by purchasing the Conserve Wildlife license plate at WildlifeFlorida.org/CWT.