Bears Like Donuts Too!!!
A couple days ago, a young black bear was literally roaming the streets of downtown Fort Myers! Bear sightings so close to city life are very rare, but this young bear appeared to be enjoying the sights and sounds of a 3 a.m. quiet city morning.
One resident on her way to work spotted him checking out the marina. Perhaps he was thinking of a boat trip.
The wildlife people said this is the time of year when mother bears send their young cubs off to make their own life without the comfort and ease of home.
Much like we send our kids off to college.
Below is the report of his capture.
“Wildlife officials have captured a 200-pound black bear spotted near downtown Fort Myers on Monday morning.
Wildlife officers set up a trap Monday around 10 a.m.
By mid-morning wildlife officers were confident that they had cornered the juvenile bruin in a residential area off McGregor Boulevard and had set up a trap to catch him.
Monday night the trap, baited with donuts, was successful in enticing the bear inside. The juvenile bear will be relocated to a preserve, wildlife officials said.”
My dear readers…The post below was a result of the big bear hunt that was very controversial early last year in SW Florida. There is talk this year of yet another bear hunt and I have to say…I am not really wanting there to be another. It just seems so sad to destroy these magnificent bears….and yet I know of all the pitfalls of living close to nature.
That is called “Living in Florida”!
However, it is people and progress who are infringing on their territory. After you read the below, please add your comments. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Panthers and Bears, Oh My…..
Panthers and Bears, Oh My…..
When most people think of Florida, they think of sunshine and sandy beaches.
And this is partly true, but there is more to Florida than a glorious lifestyle of mild weather.
When the Captain and I moved to Florida …I was surprised to learn of all the different types of wildlife, many of them endangered and many that are just simply beautiful to watch.
There are the common animals like deer, alligators, lizards and other reptiles, sharks, parrots, brightly colored birds such as the Bunting….. and the most beautiful butterflies in shades of blue and green that I have ever seen
Of course, everyone has heard of manatees…I posted about them a couple years ago. See link below.
Gentle Giants…Manatees…Sea Cows…
And I have posted about the Little Burrowing Owls, the Florida Scrub Jay and of course the infamous Eagles, Ozzie and Harriet…see links below.
The Blue Bird of Happiness…Florida Scrub-Jay!
But Florida also has panthers…. and black bears.
Panthers are native to SW Florida and many are killed on our highways.
It is always sad to pick up the morning paper and see yet another death of these beautiful creatures.
In my research, I found that in 2014, a Florida panther was hit by a car and killed, on average, once every two weeks.
It’s a staggering amount for an endangered species.
Thirty-three of the endangered cats died last year — 25 were hit by cars.
To best understand the issue, you have to start with this fact: panthers need a lot of space.
“That requires them to cross roads. When you have panthers crossing roads and lots of people driving, the inevitable will happen.
Plus, by building more sub-divisions, we are slowly pushing their habitat further and further into the Everglades.
The panther below was caught and tranquilized in a prominent Naples neighborhood. It was given a special tracking collar and released back into the wild.
Florida’s black bear population is growing and so is the debate on how to handle them.
There is talk of having a bear hunting season which I have mixed feelings about.
Bears, like panthers are certainly dangerous… especially when you have them tearing open the screen on a pool and relaxing by the pool as in the pic above.
