A bill passed by the Florida House aims to make it easier for people to shoot bears on their property under the claim of self-defense. The bill would provide self-defense protections to individuals who kill bears, as long as they can reasonably prove that their actions were necessary to prevent imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. Critics argue that the bill is based on fear rather than facts and does not include mechanisms to prevent excessive killings of bears.

A bear in a tree at a Walt Disney World park prompted the temporary closure of several rides and attractions, according to News4JAX sister station WKMG.

The 35-year-old zookeeper who was “viciously” attacked Wednesday by a 5-year-old North American black bear at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens suffered many lacerations on her head, back and thighs, according to a police report obtained Thursday by News4JAX.

A 5-year-old North American black bear that escaped an exhibit behind the scenes at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Wednesday evening and “engaged” with a zookeeper was fatally shot by the zoo’s lethal weapons team, officials said.

A Florida bear had a pool party in Naples, Florida!

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Zoo is working with Florida Fish and Wildlife to protect bats in Florida. The Long-term Bat Monitoring program is a statewide effort to monitor and identify bat species in Florida. They do a huge service by eating bugs, mostly agricultural pests, but they do eat mosquitoes as well, Associate Registrar at Jacksonville Zoo and Garden, Donna Bear, said. The disease is not in Florida yet, but it is in several surrounding states and can devastate bat populations. We havent ever done a statewide survey like this before, so we know bats live here, we just dont know exactly where, Bear said.