With springtime in full swing, Florida’s wildlife is waking up—including black bears. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reminding residents to stay BearWise as bears become more active in search of food and water.
As March arrives, bears emerge from their winter dens with hearty appetites, and they won’t hesitate to take advantage of an easy meal. Unsecured garbage, bird seed, and pet food are all strong attractants and can quickly turn your yard into a bear hotspot.
To avoid unwanted bear encounters, be sure to secure trash cans, bring pet food indoors, and take down bird feeders when bears are active. Taking these simple steps not only helps keep bears wild, but also prevents mother bears from teaching their cubs that neighborhoods are a reliable source of food.
Stay BearWise®, protect your home, and help keep Florida’s bears—and your community—safe this spring.
Here are some other BearWise® Basics to keep in mind:
- Never feed or approach bears.
- Remove bird feeders when bears are active.
- Feed your pets inside if possible and never leave pet food outdoors.
- Clean and store your grills and smokers.
- Secure food, garbage and recycling.
- Alert your neighbors to bear activity in the area.
Live in bear country? Follow this at-home checklist. And remember, a screened-in porch or deck counts as “outside” to a hungry black bear.
Black bears are generally not aggressive but they have injured people in Florida. Dogs, in particular, can trigger defensive behaviors from bears, especially females with cubs. When walking dogs, keep them close to you on a short leash and stay aware of your surroundings. Before letting your dog outside in your yard, flip exterior lights on and off and bang on the door to give bears and other wildlife a chance to leave the area.
Bears cross more roadways as they become more active this time of year. To avoid vehicle collisions with bears and other wildlife, slow down when driving, particularly on rural highways at dawn or dusk. Look for road signs identifying bear and other wildlife crossing areas. Each year in Florida, an average of 250 bears are killed after being hit by vehicles.
Having conflicts with bears? FWC should be your first call – our staff are here to help. Please call one of the FWC’s five regional offices to speak with a biologist about the specifics of your situation to help resolve any conflicts. Go to MyFWC.com/Contact and click “Contact Regional Offices” to find the phone number for your region. Call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) to report someone who is harming bears or intentionally feeding them.
More information is available at MyFWC.com/Bear, where you can access the “Guide to Living in Bear Country” brochure. You can also help bears and other wildlife by purchasing the Conserve Wildlife license plate at WildlifeFlorida.org. For more information on Florida’s wildlife in spring, visit MyFWC.com/News and click on “Spring Wildlife News.”
