FWC asks for help in removing tempting bear treats

FWC asks for help in removing tempting bear treats

POSTED 09/24/2008 - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is asking for assistance in Citrus County.

According to FWC biologists, during the past three weeks, there have been 16 calls regarding a bear near the Citrus Springs area and the Pine Ridge subdivision.

Ten calls have been about this bear eating from bird feeders; two calls reported that the bear was sitting in their bird baths; four callers said the bear was walking through their yards.

"There haven’t been any reports of aggression of any kind," said Rebecca Shelton, FWC biologist. "However, we really want this bear to move on."

However, it’s unlikely that the bear will move on unless the food source is removed. This is where FWC needs the public’s help.

"We need folks in that area to remove the temptations for this bear. It’s staying on the fringes of residential areas because of the abundance of bird feeders and baths," Shelton said.

Bears are very opportunistic foragers. They are attracted to bird feeders because they are easy to access and bird feed is high in protein and calories.

"If people remove these feeders and baths, there’s a good chance the bear will move on," Shelton said. "We’ve been to many of the homes in the area, and people are responding by removing their feeders. But there are quite a few residents in the area, and we may not be able to personally contact everyone."

The bear is between 175 and 200 pounds and is either a young male or an average-sized female. It has a white "V" or blaze on its chest.

"We prefer the residents secure attractants like bird feeders and garbage before we have to respond," Shelton said. "We’re trying to move away from relocating bears. Often a relocated bear may try to return ‘home’ and in the process cross busy roads, creating a danger to itself and motorists. As a result, relocation is not a desirable or effective means of controlling human/bear conflicts," Shelton said.

People often ask why these bears can’t simply be relocated to the woods where they won’t bother anyone.

"Unfortunately, these remote areas are rare in Florida," Shelton said. "In addition, relocation is stressful to bears, and often places them in another bear’s territory or creates a problem in another area."

Since the 1980s, the bear population has been steadily expanding – along with the human population. As a result, bears and humans are encountering each other more than ever. Calls to FWC concerning black bear encounters have increased from 11 in 1980 to more than 2,100 in 2006. Often these calls involve bears that have been fed by humans, either intentionally or unintentionally.

The mere presence of a black bear does not necessarily represent a problem. In fact, living in bear country can provide some unique and rewarding experiences for residents. However, when black bears have access to pet food, garbage, bird seed, livestock feed, etc., they learn very quickly to associate people with food.

"Once they do, they lose their natural fear of people and may become a nuisance. This can lead to personal injury, property damage and the need to destroy the bears involved," Shelton said.

Properly storing or securing residential garbage and other bear attractants is a proven method for discouraging bears and preventing nuisance problems around homes, farms and neighborhoods.

The following items attract bears and should always be protected by an electric fence or stored in a secure place, such as a garage or sturdy shed: garbage cans; bird feeders; pet food; squirrel and other wildlife feeders; pet food bowls; barbeque grills and smokers; pets and small livestock such as goats, rabbits, pigs and chickens; livestock feed; compost piles; beehives; and fruit- and nut-bearing plants and trees.

"Anything that attracts dogs, cats, raccoons and other animals can also attract bears. People also need to know it’s illegal to intentionally feed black bears in Florida," Shelton said.

For more information about Florida black bears, please visit www.MyFWC.com/bear/. There is a homeowner’s guide for living in bear country and other facts about human/bear conflicts.

---

Bear facts

Black bears are the only type of bear native to Florida and once roamed throughout the state’s entire 34.5 million acres. Human activities in Florida have eliminated bears from about 83 percent of their former range.

Florida bears are black with a brown muzzle and may have a white chest marking called a blaze. Adult black bears typically weigh 150 to 400 pounds. The largest male bear on record in Florida weighed 624 pounds; the largest female weighed 342 pounds.

Female bears, called sows, begin breeding at about 3.5 years old and generally have one to four cubs every other year. In Florida, the breeding season runs from June to August, and cubs are born about seven months later in late January to early February.

Bears of all ages are excellent climbers and climb trees when they are frightened. About 80 percent of a black bear’s diet is plant matter (plants, berries, nuts, etc.). The other 20 percent includes insects and meat.