Nearly 20 environmental advocacy organizations are asking federal wildlife officials to consider protections for the Florida Black Bear. They believe the state’s bear population is in danger.
The Sierra Club, the Humane Society and the Center for Biological Diversity are just a few of the activist groups that want the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate the black bear population in Florida.
Jaclyn Lopez, with the Center, said there are an estimated 3,000 to 3,500 black bears in the state. And at least 590 of them died last year alone. She said that’s about 20 percent of the projected population.
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“So to lose 20 percent of the population in just one year could be near catastrophic and that's what we're asking the agency to look at,” said Lopez.
More than 300 black bears were killed in October during the state’s first bear hunt in more than two decades. Lopez says other bears died by cars hits, illegal hunting and then there’s just natural mortality. Federal Wildlife officials will spend the next 90 days reviewing the petition.
Lopez said if federal wildlife officials determine the Florida Black Bear warrants listing under the Endangered Species Act, then “we haven’t done enough to protect this habitat.”
