The
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has released two
new videos in the “Living with Florida Black Bears” series,
designed to educate the public about how to safely coexist with bears
in Florida.
The
“Cause for a Call” video outlines when and how people can reduce
conflicts with bears by taking simple steps such as securing trash
and other attractants.
The
“BearWise Communities” video describes how to make a neighborhood
“BearWise” by showing residents on when and how to report bear
conflicts or sightings, and how to secure food items that attract
bears to a neighborhood.
You
can see the videos on-line at MyFWC.com/Bear.
And
remember, This is the time of year that Florida’s black bears
really start eating in preparation of winter.
The
bears will eat just about anything from berries, nuts, and fruit to
insects.
But
since they are trying to fatten up they’d rather have high calorie
meals like your dog’s food or just about anything in your trash.
That
means there is a much higher chance that a bear might be visiting
your yard over the next few months.
You
can minimize the chances of bears stopping at your house if you take
a few simple steps like feeding your animals in a closed off area and
not leaving dog food outside.
Bear
proof trash cans are also available from local garbage companies, but
if you don’t want to pay the extra cost you just need to keep your
trash can in the garage or some other spot that bears can’t reach.
And
there are always a few people who think its fun to actively feed
bears, but in the long run that bad for the bear.
Bears
are naturally shy, but if they lose their fear of humans the state
will have to step in and either relocate the bear or in some cases
euthanize it.
And
it can be bad for the person doing the feeding because its illegal in
Florida to leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and
cause human-bear conflicts.
And
remember if you have a nuisance bear or suspect that someone is
feeding or attracting bears, please call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert
Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC.
http://live.oysterradio.com/
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