count survey | Local News - WESH Home
Florida wildlife officials prep
for statewide bear count survey
Study results will be ready in about a year
UPDATED 10:52 PM EDT Jun 03, 2014
Wildlife officials rely on
donuts for statewide bear
survey
donuts for statewide bear
survey
In an effort to
better manage Florida's black bear population,
wildlife biologists are preparing to conduct a
statewide bear survey.
better manage Florida's black bear population,
wildlife biologists are preparing to conduct a
statewide bear survey.
In areas a good distance from any neighborhoods, the
state plans to set up 200 counting stations. The stations
will be surrounded by barbed wire and inside there will
be some sort of bait -- donuts have always been a bear
favorite.
state plans to set up 200 counting stations. The stations
will be surrounded by barbed wire and inside there will
be some sort of bait -- donuts have always been a bear
favorite.
"We're hoping to prove our hypothesis that the bear
population has greatly increased since 2002," said
Greg Workman, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman.
Officials estimate 3,000 statewide, but that number
is 12 years old and reports of bears have increased.
"The frequency of phone calls, the frequency of sightings
, there's just a lot more out there," Workman said.
population has greatly increased since 2002," said
Greg Workman, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman.
Officials estimate 3,000 statewide, but that number
is 12 years old and reports of bears have increased.
"The frequency of phone calls, the frequency of sightings
, there's just a lot more out there," Workman said.
To prove that point, officials are building barbed wire
corrals or counting stations. The bear will squeeze between
two strands of barbed wire to get a treat. The hair left on
the fence will be DNA tested so they know if a lot of hair
means a lot of bears, or if one bear keeps coming back.
State officials insist the bears will not be hurt.
"It happens every day to them, it pulls a little bit off of them,
and that's it," Workman said.
The two violent bear encounters in the last few months in
Seminole County have shined a light on human and bear
interactions. As state experts work to better manage the
population, they said knowing the number of bears will help.
They can also figure out bear density in certain regions,
so they don't relocate bears to a highly populated place,
shoving bears back into neighborhoods.
"We want to know that the area we're relocating these
bear to, that we're not over-saturating the area. We want
to know there's capacity left," Workman said.
The study results will be ready in about a year.
"It happens every day to them, it pulls a little bit off of them,
and that's it," Workman said.
The two violent bear encounters in the last few months in
Seminole County have shined a light on human and bear
interactions. As state experts work to better manage the
population, they said knowing the number of bears will help.
They can also figure out bear density in certain regions,
so they don't relocate bears to a highly populated place,
shoving bears back into neighborhoods.
"We want to know that the area we're relocating these
bear to, that we're not over-saturating the area. We want
to know there's capacity left," Workman said.
The study results will be ready in about a year.
Read more:http://www.wesh.com/news/florida-wildlife-
officials-prep-for-statewide-bear-count-survey/26312986#ixzz33dvv5Zwq
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