Guilty!

 
Beautiful, Bashful, Black Bear Cubs~
Picture credit:  FWC

I am sure that you all remember the horrific stories written  here about the Seven Black Bears,  that were killed in the Orlando area recently.
It was a sad, sad, sickening thing to have to write about and watch unfold.
Many hearts were broken,  as this story was on the News here nearly daily.
Many were also convinced that a Human was at the root of this, but could not prove it until now.
Finally the answer came and it has been all over our news for the past 24 hours.
First, a local Seminole County couple, Corey Zeak and Lori Clem, admitted to feeding the bears in this neighborhood and pleaded  “no contest”  to the charges against them.
They were fined $200 each and put on six months probation!
Then, a video surfaced of a man shown actually in the act of feeding a Black Bear.
He appeared in  court yesterday,  his name is Eugene Cifers.
And, he has pleaded ” not guilty.”
This man is not some ignorant, uneducated,  thoughtless, reckless culprit.
This man knows better.
Or at least you would think that he would,  considering that he is a former member of the Audubon Board and Save the Manatee Club.
This man has apparently been doing this for quite some time and has shared his both, illegal and stupid actions,  with a variety of people, including his neighbors and even his trash man.
Too many Bears in this state are being killed, either by car strikes, or by being “euthanized”.
The recent  “ donut caper, “  as I like to call it,  to try to  “count”  the numbers of Florida’s Black Bears,  is something I fear may soon lead to a disaster for them.
There are now grumblings or rumblings, of something that I was assured by an unnamed person at the top, would never happen here,  Black Bear Hunting.
In Florida, our hands are now stained with the blood of Black Bears, as it has become a tragic, too common occurrence.
Last week another Black Bear who refused to stay away from people and trouble was put down.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, or FFWC, said that they had no other choice.
The Bear was taken away, or relocated,  repeatedly, but it kept coming back.
Remember what they say,  “follow the food?”
This is what Black Bears and all the wild things will always do, they will follow the food, even though it might kill them.
Only stupid people feed wildlife, because it causes them to behave abnormally, which in turn costs them their lives.
It is not cute, or kind,  to feed them you idiots and you cannot plead ” innocent or no contest.”
These are not teddy bears, toys, or dolls for you to play with.
They are not cute, cuddly, stuffed animals for you to snuggle and then put back on the shelf.
These are wild animals who need to stay apart, or away from us,  if they are to stay alive.
Every encounter that a Black Bear has with a Human, is one more step that it has to unlearn.
If you feed a Black Bear or ANY wild animal and it is euthanized:
You are GUILTY!
 
Places to learn more:
Eugene Cifers: Florida man accused of feeding bears, wildlife officials say they have photo
Officials say photo shows Seminole man is feeding bears
Florida Man Has Been Feeding Neighborhood Bears For a Year, According to Officials
Neighbor of mauled woman in Seminole among three charged with feeding bears
Bear that returned to Panama City is euthanized