Seminole County has seen significant decrease in last 5 years

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Wildlife officials say management efforts have been working when it comes to bear encounters in Seminole County.

In an update during Tuesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, FWC Bear Program Coordinator Mike Orlando said the amount of bear-related calls has seen a significant decrease in the last five years.

“They’ve gone from number one or two number of calls for all of our 67 counties, down to number seven,” Orlando said.

Officials attribute the decrease in calls to Seminole County’s advocacy for bear-resistant trash cans.

“Securing garbage. There’s no other way to look at it,” Orlando said. “Folks have gotten serious about securing garbage, not leaving attractants outside.”

While the bear-resistant cans have proven to be effective, the county will likely need to revisit the measure as those cans need to be replaced.

“They get beat up, so they’re going to age out,” Orlando said.  “We need to try and figure out a way to find funding to replace those and get new ones for new residents.”

During Tuesday’s meeting, some commissioners also spoke about bear encounters of their own and said education is key.

“Being a little less welcoming is in the bear’s best interest and that education needs to happen,” Commissioner Andria Herr said.  “We have to beef up that education because we are coming to a point where more incidents are going to happen.”

Orlando said the FWC education efforts are ongoing and urge everyone to secure trash or any source of food to avoid the potential of a dangerous encounter.

“Remember they’re wild animals and they’re just doing the best they can to survive,” Orlando said. “If we don’t give them any reason to come into our community, that’s the best case scenario.”

For details on Seminole County’s urban bear management, visit https://www.seminolecountyfl.gov/departments-services/environmental-services/solid-waste-management/urban-bear-management.stml

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Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.