Teddy Bear News
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Florida’s sprawl hurts bears
Author: teddygirl | Thursday June 15, 2006
Because of urban sprawl, Florida black bears have been cornered into 6 wooded areas in the state. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission performed a study that estimated 2,042 to 3,213 black bears have been concentrated in Apalachicola, Ocala and Osceola national forests, Big Cypress National Preserve, St. Johns River area, and Eglin Air Force Base’s military reservation.
Each black bear needs 40 square miles. Florida has had out of control development so it’s likely that humans and bears will conflict. When humans move into the bears’ territories, bears usually lose out.
Florida classified its black bear as threatened, but it is not listed on the federal list. The Humane Society of the United States, Defenders of Wildlife and the Sierra Club recently contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that they will take court action to add the Florida black bear to the federal list.
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