Bear aware meeting held in Seminole County

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole County hosted a “Bear Aware” meeting Monday night to talk about bear safety in Seminole County, after some recent ‘close encounters’.

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Over the past couple of months, viewers have shared videos with WFTV of bears roaming Seminole County.

Earlier this month, a Lake Nona viewer shared surveillance videos of bears breaking into his shed and getting away with his snow cone syrup.

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And on Halloween, another Lake Mary viewer shows a different bear digging through a bowl of Halloween candy.

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A biologist from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at Monday night’s meeting explained this is the time of year when bears typically roam for food and return to the same areas once they find it.

The biologist also encouraged people to manage their trash and keep it locked up and away from bears in places like garages.

Read: ‘I feel trapped’: Leesburg neighborhood terrorized by family of bears

Also, get rid of things like bird feeders and left-over dog food that attract bears to your yard.

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Never feed or approach bears, feeding bears can make them lose their natural fear of people (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Remove wildlife feeders. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Store garbage in a sturdy shed or garage and then put it out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Alert neighbors to bear activity. If you see a bear, let your neighbors know (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Never leave pet food outdoors (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears Clean and store grills. Clean and degrease grills and smokers after each use. (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

Spring BearWise tips to reduce conflicts with bears (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

If you need to protect livestock or gardens in Bear Country, FWC recommends putting up electric fences to scare bears off.

For more information on being bear aware, you can find information on the Seminole County Urban Bear Management website.

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