The black bear is making a comeback in Florida. Biologists now estimate there are about 3,000 black bears in the state with the largest concentration in the Ocala National Forest.
I took this photo at the Silver Springs Park on the east side of Ocala a couple of months ago.
23 comments:
Wow - that is incredible, Lowell!
RUN!!!
The abundance of bears and their incursions into populated areas are posing real problems. I am of two minds about the proposals to grant hunting permits to thin the numbers. Even though I don't hunt myself, I do support hunting deer so that the survivors can live more healthy lives with less impact on humans. Whether I will get to the same place with bears remains to be seen.
I've had encounters with them here- it's all about knowing their behaviour, giving them distance, letting them know you're around. They'll tend to scatter when they hear you. It's easier for us to adapt to the animal than the reverse.
You are a devil! A nice devil though! ;-)))
That bear looks like he is sizing you up Lowell! As Jack said in his comment, I'm not sure how I feel about allowing permits for hunting bears in Florida, but I do know that they are becoming a problem in more populated areas. One of my friends has had them coming into his yard at night and raiding his trash cans and he lives only about a half mile from me, so it is a little scary.
Thanks for the link you shared. It's not surprising to me at all. I am also glad I'm retired from FSU now that the new president has been "crowned". I try not to comment too much about politics in this town because I still have family working for state agencies, but it is disgusting what is happening.
Hey Hey Yogi.
Hmmmmm...was this guy a passenger in a beer truck the other day?
Amazing capture, Lowell!!!
Hope you took the photo with a l o n g lens?!
Did he try to hug you?? ;))
I hope this was photoshopped...
Amazing capture, Lowell !
We have here some problems with bears too...
He's a fine looking bear but, methinks you might be fooling us again.
No Photoshop here, Lowell? We are quite used a huge wild boars at the edge of the town, but this guy is absolutely another thing!
Yes, you were fooling us again!
I think Sharon might be right.
I saw a bear while riding my bike on a path in Glacier National Park in Montana once. It was a grizzly. It was standing upright on the path in front of me, maybe 200 feet from where I was. I had my camera but the only thing I thought was to back out of there. I turned around and went the other way. No picture.
"Hey, Boo Boo. Is that a picnic basket over there? Just tasty for the average bear."
Oh I don't know about the invasion of bears into populated zones. Isn't it man encroaching on bear territory?
Bears are on the increase here in Ontario too. Last year I saw TWO in populated areas, one just outside a golf course.
I think you're fooling with us!
Hey BooBoo I see a pic-a-nic basket---that's what Yogi said.
We have Black Bear here too. They love the apples in the fall.
MB
Oh, Lowell, I hope you used a long telephoto lens. But …wait, is it real or fake? Whenever I see the sign “Watch out bears!” on the mountain path, I feel scared and ask myself how I can watch out and protect myself when I happen to encounter a bear.
Yoko
Poor bears! Animals have been kicked out from every habitat on Earth by humans and if they try to come back to their lands ... they are a threat! Very sad.
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