By protecting the Florida black bear and its habitat, we also protect these other species' habitats. In 1974, the Florida black bear was listed as a State Threatened Species throughout most of Florida. Black bears are dangerous and unpredictable wild animals. The Florida black bear will remain off-limits from hunters, but only for now. According to Jack Hanna's Monkeys on the Interstate, a bear captured in Sanford, Florida, was thought to have been the offspring of an escaped female Asian black bear and a male American black bear. 2019 Florida Black Bear Management Plan. In 1859, an American black bear and a Eurasian brown bear … Bears in the Smokies. The 2019 update to the state’s comprehensive Florida Black Bear Management Plan was approved by the FWC Commissioners at the December 2019 meeting. Florida bears need federal protection because of state-sanctioned hunting, highway deaths, killings by wildlife officers for public safety and rapid loss … How to Pick the Right Sidearm for Backup Bear Protection. Florida black bears are part of class Mammalia and are found throughout Florida, southern Georgia, and Alabama. Stuart Pimm, Adrian Treves, Miha Krofel, Paul Paquet, and Robert Wielgus. Their scientific name, Ursus americanus floridanus, is derived from the Latin words meaning Florida American bear.They are a subspecies of the American black bear.In 1970, the Florida black bear population only numbered in the 100s. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates that only 3,000 Florida black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) remain in eight isolated habitats throughout the state. Living with Bears . Gary Carter Photo. (ENN) -- The Florida black bear was denied federal protection under the Endangered Species Act Monday and as a result, an environmental group … Also, the animals only have 18 percent of the roaming space they once had , leading to ongoing sighting of bears in Florida neighborhoods . FDOT Contractor Requirements for Unexpected Interaction with Certain Protected Species During Work Activities (Specification) Bald Eagle Management - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ... No construction activity when a Florida Black Bear is in or adjacent to the project limits. The goal of a BMU is to provide a defined area within which FWC can have a community-focused effort to effectively manage and conserve Florida black bears. BLACK BEARS The Conservancy of Southwest Florida advocates for increased protection of non-viable bear sub-populations, including the one in Glades and Highlands counties, and sub-populations that could serve as a source for the non-viable subpopulations to become stronger. Black bears, panthers, bobcats, and more could roam freely in the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a proposed strip of land running from South Florida to Georgia. What is the status of the Florida black bear? Two experts square off on their picks for the ideal bear defense handgun Florida black bears will eat just about anything, including trash left out at the end of a driveway. Activity may resume when the bear has left The presence of bears is not necessarily a problem or a threat to your safety. Also, the animals only have 18 percent of the roaming space they once had , leading to ongoing sighting of bears in Florida neighborhoods . The only species of bear that lives in the Southeastern U.S. is the black bear (Ursus americanus). American black bears are reproductively compatible with several other bear species and have occasionally produced hybrid offspring. Do not approach bears or allow them to approach you. “Florida back bears are a public-trust asset, and the state’s apparent mismanagement of the Florida black bear not only puts the bear at risk of extinction, but appears to violate state and federal public-trust obligations.” Scientists joining the petition include Drs. Not only is the population growing, there are now more black bears in … In the FWC's own projections, the Florida black bear will lose 2.3 million acres of habitat by 2060. While black is the most common color of black bears in the Southeastern U.S., black bear coats in other areas can be cinnamon, blond, gray, or even white. In this way, everybody gets protection under the umbrella! But it is important to remember that bears are wild animals and deserve respect. If you are not careful, you could break the law and risk both your own safety and the bear's. Florida’s black bear population is a conservation comeback roughly 20 years in the making. What can I do to protect my property? In the 1970s, the estimated number of adult Florida black bears had fallen to only 300. The laws declare that black bears are a species that require special protection in the state and make it illegal to hunt, wound, injure, kill, trap, collect, or capture a black bear, or to attempt to engage in that conduct during the closed season for black bear.