ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Following a rash of black bear sightings in and around St. Johns County, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosted a community meeting Thursday evening in Nocatee.
Wildlife officials geared residents up for summer -- when experts said it's likely there will be even more bear sightings.
During the meeting in the Nocatee Room of Crosswater Hall, FWC leaders reported that more than 3,000 black bears are currently roaming Florida -- up from 300 in just a few decades. They also said bear-related calls increased by 6,000 over 13 years.
Many people who went to the presentation had questions about what to do if they encounter a bear. The FWC said the main thing to remember is to be authoritative -- the bear is more likely to be afraid of you.
"If a bear was approaching someone's property and the property owner came out and made noise, that would scare the bear away," said Richard Logan, a St. Johns County residents.
Make noise and appear large -- that was some of the information Logan said he took away from the "Bear Talk," which was attended by dozens of people hoping to learn best practices after a string of bear sightings.
The first sighting occurred in late April when a black bear was seen at least three times just north of the Duval County line, including once outside a Bartram Park Chili's restaurant.
Though it may seem like there have been more bear sightings than usual, because there are new developments encroaching on forested area in a lot of St. Johns County, FWC officials said it's also the time of year when bears are no longer hibernating and begin to wander, looking for food.
"I haven't personally seen them -- just stories I've been hearing and on the news," said Debbie Rittinger, who lives in St. Johns County. "So I wanted to come to this event to learn more about how we can proactive."
With temperatures increasing, bears are out of their winter dens and are moving around in search of food. June also marks the beginning of black bear mating season in Florida. This causes bears to be more active as they search for potential mates.
It is illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts.
To keep bears away from homes and neighborhoods, follow these simple tips:
- Secure household garbage in a sturdy shed, garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
- Put household garbage out on morning of pickup, rather than the night before.
- Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
- Protect gardens, beehives, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
- Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute bylaws or ordinances to require trash be kept secure from bears.
- Feed pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
- Clean grills and store them in a secure place.
- Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
- Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
IMAGES: FWC warns of frisky, foraging black bears
Anyone having conflicts with bears can call one of the FWC’s five regional offices. Click here to find the phone number for a particular region. If anyone feels threatened by a bear or wants 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.
Help bears and other wildlife by purchasing the “Conserve Wildlife” tag at BuyaPlate.com