JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens used its North American Black Bear, Billy, to test a bear-resistant trash can.
The testing was done in early January to help address the human/bear conflict in Florida.
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One of the most common reasons bears are coming so close to humans is the easy access to food from garbage bins left overnight.
Bears are extremely intelligent and are opportunistic feeders, especially with their ability to smell food from over a mile away, the Zoo said.
The more conditioned bears become with easy meals like garbage, the more frequently they will visit neighborhoods looking for a snack.
Toter, a supplier of trash containers out of North Carolina, already supplies a range of bear-resistant containers and has been finalizing development of a bear-resistant can. Toter visited the Jacksonville Zoo with its new can to test the strength of the lock.
Billy scratched, tossed and turned the trash can upside down for over 25 minutes, but the can held strong. Afterward, Billy was given extra love and snacks for a job well done, the Zoo said.
"Bears are wild animals that deserve respect, and this bear-resistant trash can is one way to work toward a safer relationship between humans and bears," the Zoo said.
Billy's exhibit at the Zoo will undergo an expansion this year and will be complete by the end of summer.