Article Courtesy of The Palm
Beach Post
By Special to The Star
Published October 9, 2019
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In
the fall, Florida black bears begin preparing for the winter by consuming extra
calories to pack on fat, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) is reminding people to help
prevent conflicts with bears by securing garbage and other
items that might attract these animals.
In the fall, Florida black bears begin preparing for the
winter by consuming extra calories to pack on fat. During
this time, they will eat anything that’s convenient and
feeding on garbage provides more calories and less effort
than foraging in the woods.
By securing your trash and other food attractants, you can
help keep both people and bears safe.
To keep bears wild and away from your
home, follow these simple tips: |
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Secure household garbage in a sturdy shed, garage
or a wildlife-resistant container
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Put household garbage out on the morning of pickup rather
than the night before.
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Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
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Protect gardens, bee yards, compost and livestock with
electric fencing.
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Encourage your homeowner’s association or local
government to institute ordinances to require trash be secured from bears.
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Feed pets indoors or bring the dishes in after feeding.
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Clean grills and store them in a secure place.
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Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from
the ground.
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Remove wildlife and bird feeders or make them
bear-resistant.
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See the new “Bears and Bird Feeders” video in the in the
“Brochures and Videos” section at com/Bear.
It
is illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage
that will attract bears and cause human-bear conflicts. If you see or suspect
someone is feeding or attracting bears, please call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert
Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
You also can help people and bears stay safe by remembering to watch for bears
while driving. This time of year, bears are traveling across more roads in
search of food, which results in more vehicle-bear collisions. The FWC advises
drivers to be aware of their surroundings as they drive in bear country,
especially around dusk and dawn, and when there is forest on both sides of the
road.
The FWC works with Florida Department of Transportation to post bear crossing
signs in areas that receive particularly high levels of vehicle-bear collisions
and plan locations for wildlife underpasses to allow bears and other animals to
cross safely under roadways. To learn more about how to keep people and bears
safe on Florida roadways, see the “Vehicle Collisions with Bears” video at the
“Brochures and Videos” section of MyFWC.com/Bear.
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