Numbers!

A Florida Black Bear Cub
Picture credit:  FWC

**An update 4/17/2014  5 AM**
FWC  just announced that there will be fines and possible jail time for anyone caught feeding Bears.
This comes too late for SEVEN Black Bears!


Today with heavy and trouble heart,  I am imploring you to do something for an animal that you do not know.
This week has been nearly impossible to get through for those of us who live in Central Florida.
As of this writing,  SEVEN Black Bears have been killed here in the greater Orlando area.
What is  mind-boggling is this, FWC  say that they have no way to know if any of them is the one who hurt the woman, as DNA tests take time to get back.
Their  second explanation, or reason for continuing the killings, is that the Bears are showing  “no fear of humans.”
Let’s see, Bears comes into a neighborhood, bordering right up to where they live and these kind humans leave it something to eat and enjoy the sight.
Bear thinks, Human good!
Result, no fear!
If you remember,  the last time,  a woman taking out her trash with her dog was bitten, but it was not until after other innocent Bears had been killed,  that they said the one responsible was a mother with  two cubs,  who had  felt threatened by the woman’s dog and was  probably  protecting her cubs.
They were shipped off to Busch Gardens in Tampa.
And DNA eventually proved that the ones killed were not the ones who bit the woman.
I have just called our Governor and made a passionate plea for him to get involved.
Of course I did not speak to him, my message and my name were taken by a nice person in Tallahassee,  just doing her job.
Next,  I am calling Nick Wiley, the head of Fish and Wildlife here,  to repeat the same exact message.
Two questions are keeping me boiling mad right now.
If this were not a gated, wealthy suburb of Orlando, would there be such an abundance of concern for this neighborhood?
Are there people in this wealthy gated community, as has been whispered, who have been feeding the Bears?
Bear are simple souls really, they go where the food is.
The fact that so many of them were at this woman’s garage indicates a food source.
Did she,  or are others in this neighborhood,  breaking the golden rules of being  “Bear Aware”  for Central Florida and all other Bear areas here?
For example: Garage or other outside building doors left open at night or trash/garbage or other intentional  “Bear attracting food”  left out on purpose, or by ignorance?
We all,  who live here and love the Bears,  know about these few simple rules and for the most part do abide by them.
Where we live near the Ocala Forest,  Bears roam freely all around us.
So, why don’t we have any Bear problems like they appear to have continuously near Orlando?
It could be, because we here in the Forest, have hopefully by now, learned how to protect ourselves and them from harm.
We don’t invite them into a  “trap of death”  by doing wrong things.
So, here is my request, of any of you who follow, read or support the thinking of this Blog.
Will any of you,  if there is no financial hardship for you,  please call this number:  850 488 – 7146
This number is for the state of Florida’s Governor’s  office.
All you have to do is say how you feel about the fact that our FWC has already killed SEVEN Black Bears and ask how many more are going to be killed and why?
And, if you still have any unvented passion left after that, here are some other numbers:
850 487-3796    FAX  850 921-5786                
These numbers are for Nick Wiley,  Executive Director Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Also, his email: Nick.Wiley@myfwc.com
When the Florida Black Bear was taken off of the Threatened List in 2012,  I was very concerned about their future welfare, so I called FWC and asked if their next move was going to be to have an open season or legalize hunting of them?
I was told of course not,  that is not going to happen.
But the way things are going this week here, they won’t need to, it looks like Open Season on the Black Bear has already begun here in Orlando,  just read the numbers!