The 2500-3000 Black Bear population of Florida is undergoing a study centered in and around the National Guard Camp Blanding, near Starke.....Camp Blanding Environmental Manager Paul Catlett says a robust bear population on the post could mean the habitat here is strong and healthy........ "We want to see what the bears are doing here on Blanding, because we are seeing more and more bears everywhere. ...I.'ve got guys who have worked here for 35 years, and in the last five years have seen their first bear….....Is it the fact that there are more bears now or the fact that they are losing habitat?"

Black bear study at National Guard training facility
CAMP BLANDING JOINT TRAINING CENTER, Fla - A two-year study of Florida black bears at the National Guard's Camp Blanding Joint Training Center near Starke got underway this summer.Camp Blanding is partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to study what appears to be an expanding bear population at the 72,000-acre training siteCamp Blanding Environmental Manager Paul Catlett says a robust bear population on the post could mean the habitat here is strong and healthy. "We want to see what the bears are doing here on Blanding, because we are seeing more and more bears everywhere. I've got guys who have worked here for 35 years, and in the last five years have seen their first bear…Is it the fact that there are more bears now or the fact that they are losing habitat?"Black bears are the only species of bear found in Florida, and the FWC estimates there are between 2,500 and 3,000 black bears in the state. Adult bears weigh between 125 to 450 pounds, and can be found anywhere in FloridaAs part of the study biologists and volunteers place specialized tracking collars on the bears and follow their movements around the area via radio signals. The movements are plotted on a map with a latitude and longitude point for each signal, letting the team see when the bears move and where exactly they go.