Andean Bear cub. Image by Openverse. When bears emerge from hibernation in early spring, they face a critical nutritional challenge. Having lost up to 30% of their body weight during winter dormancy, ...

A bear was spotted towering over traffic on a busy Florida interstate and the predator did not leave unscathed, according to ...

Florida's black bears are becoming more active, leading to increased sightings in suburban and urban areas, including Orlando ...

Florida black bear sightings can be reported online to FWC. The last regulated Florida black bear hunt was in 2015. A Florida man was mauled by a 263-pound black bear in May 2025.

FLORIDA — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has just released a memo shedding new light on what a proposed black bear hunt could look like in our state. The proposed rules ...

Florida's black bear population, once classified as threatened, has rebounded in recent decades. The state has more than 4,000 black bears, according to the FWC.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission maintains the hunt is necessary to manage the state’s growing black bear population and to mitigate rising human-bear conflicts, including a ...

FWC staff will discuss the black bear hunt during their commission meeting on May 21 and 22 in Ocala at the College of Central Florida. Visit FWC’s website to read the entire draft proposal for ...

Animal welfare activist Debbie Rhodes holds a painting from 2015 —the last time there was an official bear hunt in Florida— at her home in Orlando, Wednesday, June 18, 2025.