- April 26, 2024
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Beware the three bears. And don’t forget their mother.
Management at Integra Woods, an apartment complex in Seminole Woods, in Palm Coast, has been informed by residents that a mother bear and three cubs have been seen in the woods near the apartment buildings. Management advised residents that they should keep children and dogs on the front side of the buildings and be sure to pick up any garbage so as not to attract the bears.
The notice continues: ”Always remember with any wild animals that they are not tame, so keeping safe distance is the best policy. If you are to see the bears or other potentially dangerous animals, please contact the office immediately to ensure your own safety as well as the animals’.”
Susan Carroll-Douglas, wildlife assistance biologist, with the Northeast region of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said this is an especially active time of the year for bears.
“Young adults are starting to get kicked out of the sow’s home ranges,” Carroll-Douglas said. An adult male’s home range is 50 square miles.
She added that there is no data about how the fires west of U.S. 1 affect the bear population, but it is likely that food sources, such as berries, are in lower supply as a result. The number of calls to Fish and Wildlife from residents about bears has not increased, as compared to last year.
Bears’ diet comprises 75% to 80% berries, fruit and vegetation. They also eat insects and, opportunistically, meat.
Carroll-Douglas said some bird species are still in the tail-end of their nesting seasons and could be impacted by a fire, as well, depending on the speed and intensity of the fire.
Some small mammals burrow into the ground to escape fires, and others inhabit pre-dug gopher holes. Inevitably, fires are hard on wildlife, but many travel away from the fire to find other food sources.
