DANGER: Don't feed the bears

  • Published
  • By Jerron Barnett
  • Eglin Environmental Public Affairs
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. --  Avid wildlife lovers beware: feeding bears is not advised and can be dangerous to you, the bear, your family and pets.

Eglin wildlife management personnel have noticed a surge in Florida black bear movement in and around the Eglin reservation over the past several months and instances of them becoming a nuisance in urban areas have increased.

Eglin wildlife personnel say that fall, not summer, is the typical time frame that you'll see juvenile male bears moving around trying to find their territory. This the result of being run off by the mother to make room for her next set of cubs.

Bruce Hagedorn, Jackson Guard's wildlife section chief, points to the recent dry weather that has reduced the amount of available food for the black bear, which includes wild berries and oak acorns. Consequently, the bears have ventured out beyond their usual range in search for food. Unfortunately, this has landed them in local residents' backyards, rummaging through their trash cans.

"We advise people to never feed the bears," Mr. Hagedorn said. "Feeding the bears causes them to lose their fear of humans and start associating humans with a food source."

Mr. Hagedorn suggested that residents living near or on Eglin should be aware of other potential food sources around their property such as bird feeders, pet food bowls and garbage cans.

"If it can attract a raccoon, it can attract a bear, too." Mr. Hagedorn said.

A bear-human-food association is not an association you want to have, Dennis Teague, a Jackson Guard endangered species biologist and nuisance wildlife specialist, said.

"Normally bears aren't aggressive and they don't want anything to do with humans, but it can be dangerous for both parties if they lose that fear," Mr. Teague said.

There haven't been any documented cases of Florida black bear attacks on humans in the state, but it's still an animal that should be respected and never confronted, Mr. Teague said. Adult black bears typically weigh 150 to 400 pounds, with the largest ever being recorded on Eglin at 440 pounds. The largest adult male black bear on record in the state of Florida is 624 pounds.

Typically, a nuisance bear is captured by personnel from the nearest Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission office and relocated on the opposite side of the Eglin reservation where it was found, Mr. Teague said. Some bears have been known to travel back to the area where they were captured, but the FWC has developed and instituted some new aversive conditioning techniques aimed to discourage the bear from associating humans with a positive experience and returning to these areas.

Jackson Guard has brochures available in their lobby to help make local residents aware of the black bear population on Eglin, which is estimated to be approximately 60 to 100 bears. Mr. Teague said that observing a bear in the wild is a rare occurrence and it can be a unique and rewarding experience if you observe the animal from a safe distance. You can also download most of these brochures from http://myfwc.com/bear/Brochures.htm.

Some of the FWC's general tips on handling a bear encounter are:

· Do not feed the bear.
· Never approach the bear.
· Make sure the bear has an escape route.
· Do not run from the bear or make direct eye contact with it. Back up slowly and remain standing upright.
· Act passively. Do not appear threatening.

Jackson Guard is located along Highway 85 North in Niceville. Their phone number is (850) 882-4165 or 882-4166.

If you experience a nuisance bear on Eglin property, including military family housing, contact security forces at 882-2502. If you live in the surrounding communities, you should contact the FWC's 24-hour Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC.