SANFORD, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission held an informational meeting inside the North Branch Public Library in Sanford on Monday.
The goal of the meeting was to provide resources and tips for residents to use to stay safe from bears.
A photograph was taken on Sunday in Seminole County, showing a bear eating from a trash bin.
In recent months, there have been several bear sighting in Central Florida. In June, a bear spent several days in a tree near Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
In August, a mother bear was found shot in Sanford. Investigators said they were forced to euthanize the bear due to her injuries, and they searched for her cubs.
In September, a bear was spotted inside Disney’s Magic Kingdom park.
On Halloween, a bear waltzed up to a home in Lake Mary and ate the pumpkins and Halloween candy left outside.
Earlier this month, a bear was caught on a Ring doorbell camera stealing Taco Bell delivery from the front porch of a home in Longwood.
FWC’s website lists several tips for people, including:
- Keep your garage door closed. This prevents bears from entering and finding a food source.
- Keep your trash bins off curb until collection day. This limits the amount of time the garage is outside and the amount of time a bear would have to locate it.
- Keep dogs inside. A barking dog can frighten a bear and cause a bear to act aggressive.
- Speak loudly. Shouting at a bear and making noise to make the bear know they should stay away.
- Don’t run! Running away can escalate the situation and frighten the bear more and make them aggressive.
For more information on bears and how to stay safe, visit FWC’s website here.
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