FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION Black bear.

Several sightings of black bears are on the increase in Southwest Florida, something important enough for officials of the South Bear Management Unit to hold a workshop in Lehigh with about 50 people from as far as 30 miles away attending.

The symposium was held at the East County Regional Library on July 1 at 6 p.m. and the meeting room was filled with folks who in many instances have seen bears in the area and others who have an interest in the increasing bear population in Southwest Florida and what might be done about it.

Kaitlin O’Connell, coordinator of the South Bear Management Unit of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, assembled the large crowd and first told them they were there to get suggestions, hopefully new members or stakeholders, too, and to talk about the Florida Black Bear that has been showing up at several sites in Southwest Florida.

She said Lehigh had been chosen as the venue because they wanted to reach folks in nearby counties and towns, not only Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres, but LaBelle and surrounding counties.

She told the group that they were there to make sure visitors enjoy the bears as much as the bears enjoy Florida, which brought laughter to the audience.

MEL TOADVINE Kaitlin O’Connell, a coordinator with the Bear Management Unit, hosts a group at the special meeting held last week about the increased sightings of bears in Southwest Florida.

Guests listened as O’Connell explained there are many bears in the state and it is the duty of the South Bear Management Unit of the Fish & Game to come up with ways so those who live here can live with the bears.

She said they get complaints often that bears are showing up in people’s backyards or in a nearby lot or field and sometimes they are being spotted going through people’s garbage.

Assistant Coordinator Mike Orlando said there are ways people can keep bears from breaking into their trash containers and that there are talks going on with waste management officials where a special trash unit can be used at the street that is bear-proof.

Residents may have to pay a small fee to get the cans, however, he said.

Some visitors were concerned about the economic loss to their businesses because of the bears. One such visitor was beekeeper Robert Rodgers of the Alva area who said he works in both Lee and Charlotte counties in providing bees for pollination purposes. He said he has lost more than $50,000 in damages due to bees.

MEL TOADVINE Talking about bears and offering suggestions are some of those who attended a special workshop last week in Lehigh. At left is beekeeper Robert Rodgers who says bears have caused his business considerable damages.

Some asked if an intruding bear on their property could be killed and Orlando said it was against to law in the state to kill what they referred to as a nuisance bear.

Some suggested a bear roundup so they could be returned to the wild while others said it is humans who have encroached on their land and that is one of the reasons more bear sightings are being noted.

In Lehigh Acres, at least two bear sighting were cited over the past several months and a few years ago, a black bear approached a laundry in one of the shopping centers on Homestead Rd.

When the woman who was working noticed the bear at the glass front door, she screamed and the bear became scared and ran across the parking lot and across Homestead Rd. There were no reports of the bear being hit and no search was made for the bear at the time.

Kay Haering of Cape Coral attended the symposium and said she had been to Alaska and there were bears there, but they made the area an attraction.

MEL TOADVINE The public offered suggestions and ideas on the presence of bears in Southwest Florida at group meetings.

Calls to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission about black bears and human encounters have increased from 1,000 in 2001 to more than 2,500 in 2008 with the most common calls referring to sightings of bears in people’s garbage, Orlando said.

According to South Bear Management officials, the mere presence of a black bear does not represent a problem. They said that in fact, living in bear country can provide unique and rewarding experiences for residents.

But not all residents agreed at the Lehigh meeting. Some thought hunters should be allowed to kill the bears during a special season to reduce the population.

After a short introduction and presentation, the 50 or so who attended were broken up into small discussion groups where visitors were asked to make suggestions about controlling the bear population. Notes were taken by South Bear Management officials who will report their findings to the fish and wildlife group.

The increase in bear sightings was also noted to be due to mating season which is from June to August and small cubs are born about seven months later, in late January or early February.

Some advice was offered by South Bear Management officials who said if you encounter a bear at close range, remain standing upright, back up slowly and speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice.

You should not intentionally feed or attract bears and if a bear is finding food on your property, take notice of what it is and remove it after the bear has left.

You should never approach or surprise a bear, according to literature passed out at the meeting.

You should keep as much distance between you and the bear as possible and make sure you are in a secure area and the bear has a clear escape route to leave the area; then scream, bang pots and pans or use an air horn to scare the bear away.

Never turn your back on a bear, never play dead or run from a bear. You should back away slowly into a house, car or any building.

If bears are a threat to the safety of people, their pets or livestock or causing property damage, it should be reported to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission by calling FWC’s Wildlife Hotline at 1-888-404-3922.

Suggestions from those who attended the workshop could cause laws in the state concerning bears to be changed.

Southwest Florida is considered one of the five primary bear ranges. FWC regional offices are located in Panama City, Lake City, Lakeland and in the West Palm Beach area.

Bears should be discouraged from your yards if residents use proper trash and recycling containers, by removing bird and squirrel feeders, removing pet foods and bowls from outside and livestock feed and especially beehives. Bears are also attracted to fruit and nut-bearing trees and shrubs.

Many at the workshop said they wanted to become more involved with the Bear Stakeholder group. If you are interested, contact Kaitlin O’Connell at “mailto:BearPlan@MyFWC.com”>BearPlan@MyFWC.com.