FLORIDA – Recent activity in Florida is serving as a reminder of the state’s abundant wildlife while also providing an opportunity for residents to be reminded of safety protocols if they were to encounter animals such as black bears or coyotes.
RELATED: Video captures small black bear on St. George Street in St. Augustine
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On Tuesday, a black bear was captured on video in St. Johns County climbing over a wall on St. George Street in downtown St. Augustine, causing the St. Augustine Police Department to warn residents of its presence. The last documented black bear capture in St. Augustine was in 1999, according to FWC.
And the day before, in Collier County, officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed that a black bear attacked and killed a man and a dog, marking the second time in 2025 that a bear attacked a person in Florida, but the first time in recorded history a bear has killed a person in Florida.
The first bear attack this year occurred on Feb. 15 in Silver Springs. In both instances, a dog was present.
In fact, according to data from the FWC, 42 bear attacks have happened in Florida since 2006, with the most occurring in 2022 (8).
Of those 42 incidents, a dog was involved in 28.
Additionally, FWC biologists estimate that there are approximately 4,050 black bears in Florida.
While bear attacks in Florida remain a rare occurrence, knowing how to protect yourself in the presence of a black bear could be the difference in maintaining your safety.
According to the FWC, bears are typically quiet and shy, but they do have the potential to seriously harm or kill people, especially if they are defending themselves, their cubs, or food sources.
If a bear feels threatened, the FWC says it may clack its teeth together, moan, blow, huff, or stomp the ground.
“They may bluff charge (run toward you and then stop before reaching you),“ the FWC said. ”These are all ways the bear is showing you it is as uncomfortable with the situation, and it wants you to give it some space. These are NOT indications of aggressive intent or an imminent attack. Truly predatory or aggressive black bears are rare and generally silent.”
If you see a bear from a distance, do not move toward it. If the bear’s behavior changes in your presence, you are too close.
If you encounter the bear at close range, the FWC recommends the following behaviors:
- Remain standing upright
- Speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice
- Back up slowly toward a secure area, be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route
- Avoid direct eye contact - bears and other animals may view this as aggressive behavior
- Stop and hold your ground if your movement away seems to irritate instead of calm the bear
And recommends to NOT do the following behaviors:
- Make any sudden or abrupt movements
- Run - running can trigger a chase instinct and bears can sprint up to 35 mph
- Play dead - black bears eat things that play dead or are dead
- Climb a tree - black bears can climb 100 feet up a tree in 30 seconds
- Approach or surprise a bear, especially one that may be injured
And if a black bear does attack you, fight back aggressively. “People have successfully fended off black bear attacks using rocks, sticks, or even their bare hands!” the FWC said.
FWC records also show that there have been nearly 3,000 instances of a black bear being captured in Florida, with most captures taking place near the Ocala National Forest, Osceola National Forest, Apalachicola National Forest, Panama City, Pensacola, and near Southwest Florida between Cape Coral and Naples.
There have been five documented black bear captures in Duval County, according to FWC data.
In 2004, a bear was captured in the Spring Glen neighborhood and another was caught in Jacksonville Beach. Then in 2007, a black bear was captured in Arlington.
In 2014, another bear was captured in Jacksonville Beach and two years later, a bear was caught near the intersection of San Pablo Parkway and Beach Boulevard.
