Bears in Live Oak!
It's fall and the acorns are...falling! So Florida black bears have been hanging out on base in areas with large oak trees. Sometimes they move around on base, but sometimes, as is the case right now, they find a place with lots of trees that are producing lots of acorns, and they hang around. Unfortunately for base residents, this happens to be in Live Oak housing.
Bears in trees are safe - that's normal, healthy, bear behavior. They feel safe from us, and people are safe from them. The issue becomes: when mama bear feels threatened by people approaching her cubs, and then she feels unsafe.
Mama bears will try to protect her cubs, and she might warn you away by popping her jaw, drooling, and if she really feels scared, she might come down out of the tree to bluff charge you.
The best thing to do: give bears in trees LOTS of space!
Avoid walking near the tree where they are at.
Standing there and staring at them doesn't help anybody.
Because mama bear has been showing us that she's scared of people, but she won't leave the area, FWC Bear Management and Hurlburt Natural Resources are working with Corvias Housing to trap and haze these bears. We hope that by scaring them, we can teach them not to come back to housing.
This is the safest course of action for residents and the bears.
Please avoid the area where the trap is located!
Do not approach the bears.
Keep your trash cans secure and latch them properly.
Clean up all pet food, walk dogs on leashes (away from the bears - dogs can scare mama bear!).
Be situationally aware: look outside before letting dogs into yards or walking down sidewalks. Don't walk underneath the bears!!
Please post here in iNaturalist where you're seeing bears in trees or walking around the neighborhood so we can keep tabs on where they are.
For life-threatening situations: call 911! Don't post emergencies in iNaturalist!
