In response to the recent bear attack, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) recently captured four bears in a residential area in Gulf Breeze, Santa Rosa County. The FWC is currently working to relocate three of the bears. Because one of the bears, an adult female, is believed to have been responsible for seriously injuring a man and his dog, the FWC had to humanely euthanize this animal to protect public safety. The three other bears, 12-month old yearlings, each weighing around 100 pounds, will be relocated.
On January 28, the female attacked a dog and then the dog’s owner when he tried to intervene. The man sustained an injury to his face which required multiple stitches. The dog received multiple injuries but is expected to survive.
The 100-pound yearlings were much heavier than typical yearling Florida bears living in the woods. Bears grow larger and produce more cubs when they have regular access to human-provided foods, which increases the number of bears living in neighborhoods and causing human-bear conflicts. The FWC will continue to work with area residents to secure bear attractants.
“Putting down bears is a decision that is not taken lightly,” said FWC Bear Management Program coordinator Dave Telesco. “We will continue to work with area residents to ensure that they have the information needed to properly secure attractants to keep themselves safe.”
