The last thing someone living in a neighborhood may expect to see when they look out their window is some of Florida’s larger, typically forest-bound wildlife — especially not a giant Florida Black Bear like the one spotted in Apopka last Wednesday by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO).
OCSO’s helicopter crew was performing a visual sweep of the area over Apopka on New Year’s Day when a large black bear was discovered roaming behind a home near a screened-in pool at approximately 12 pm noon.
The video footage shared by OCSO shows the bear slowly wandering around the perimeter before turning towards what appears to be a small thicket of trees behind another home, becoming visually obscured.
The spotting has prompted OCSO and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to remind Floridians to be diligent in maintaining their homes and surrounding yards to prevent attracting these bears to more populous areas by doing the following:
- Put trashcans curbside on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
- Add hardware to your existing, sturdy trashcan to make it more bear-resistant.
- Protect gardens, apiaries, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
- Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute ordinances on keeping foods that attract wildlife secure.
- Feed pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
- Clean grills and store them in a locked, secure place such as a sturdy shed or closed garage.
- Remove bird feeders or hang them at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet away from trees or structures.
- Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
- Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
- Inquire whether local waste service providers offer bear-resistant trash cans or dumpsters.
- If your waste service provider does not offer bear-resistant trash cans, you could purchase your own wildlife-resistant container or dumpster. Before purchasing a bear-resistant container, be sure to check with your waste service provider to ensure they will service it.
- Build a bear-resistant shed to store your trash can until it is ready for pickup. The FWC have three designs to choose from: two cans, single can – slated, and single can – enclosed.