As Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials make plans for the first black bear hunt in the state in a decade, a man in Apopka was attacked when he tried to get a pair of juvenile bears out of his front yard, the FWC said.
Alexander Rojas recounted the attack in a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by his brother to cover medical bills. According to Rojas, he confronted the bears around 4 a.m. on Aug. 15 and started yelling at the animals after one of them came toward him.
In a video from his Ring camera, Rojas can be seen yelling as a bear races across the yard and leaping onto his front porch.
“I had three immediate options,” Rojas wrote, “attempt to open the door while a bear was still within five feet, run left where another bear of similar size was approximately 30 feet away, or run right toward the woods where the mother bear could potentially be.”
The bear bit him on the arm and clawed his ribs before Rojas was able to get away.
“For some odd reason, he turned around, did more stutter steps towards me and bit my arm and then clawed my rib cage,” Rojas told WESH. “I was able to kick his feet out and knock him in the nose.”
Rojas was treated and released at a local hospital, the FWC said in a release. FWC officers responded to the area on Aug. 21 to try and trap the bear.
Bears are typically quiet and shy animals, and attacks are very rare, the FWC said, but they are wild animals and could seriously harm or kill people if they feel threatened or they are protecting their young.
In May, an 89-year-old man and his dog were found dead Collier County near Naples, after what Florida officials say is the first fatal bear attack in the state’s recorded history. Several more sightings and encounters have been reported this year.
Florida approves bear hunt for first time in decade
After multiple meetings and public testimony, Florida wildlife officials voted Aug. 13 to resume an annual black bear hunting season, citing a growing black bear population and an increase in bear sightings in neighborhoods.
Barring legal challenges, it will take place for 23 days in December, with rules in place designed to avoid the controversy of the last one in 2015 when nearly 300 bears were killed by the second day.
Florida’s bear population is currently estimated at 4,050, up from just 1,200 in the 1990s when the state ended annual bear hunts and about five times above the minimum population objectives to maintain a healthy population, FWC officials reported at the agency’s December 2024 commission meeting.
Statewide bear-related calls in 2024 were up 42% from 2016 as the state’s human population also grows and developers continue to encroach into densely populated bear habitats.
Conservationists have vowed to challenge the decision.
What do I do if a bear approaches me?
Should you encounter a bear and it doesn’t move away, the FWC says to remain standing upright and speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice. Back up slowly toward a secure area, but be sure you are leaving the bear a clear escape route and stop if moving away seem to irritate the bear.
Avoid direct eye contact. Bears and other animals may view this as aggressive behavior.
DO NOT:
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Make any sudden or abrupt movements
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Run: Running can trigger a chase instinct and bears can sprint up to 35 mph
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Play dead: Black bears eat things that play dead or are dead
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Climb a tree: Black bears can climb 100 feet up a tree in 30 seconds
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Approach or surprise a bear, especially one that may be injured
How can I avoid bear encounters?
Aside from living in the woods, bears are attracted to areas where they can find unsecured garbage containers. It is illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract them.
To reduce the chances of running into a bear:
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Store garbage in a sturdy shed or garage and then put it out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before.
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Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
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Remove wildlife feeders. or only put enough food in them for wildlife to finish before dark.
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Feed pets indoors, or only put out enough for short time periods and bring leftovers and dishes back inside.
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Clean and degrease grills and smokers after each use and, if possible, store them inside.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Black bear attacks Florida man on his front step, here’s the video
