Amid a wave of opposition, Florida wildlife officials will meet Wednesday to consider whether to hold a black bear hunt for the first time in nearly 10 years.<\/p>\n
Why it matters<\/strong>: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is proposing an annual bear hunt, says the state’s bear population is “large and healthy enough” for a hunt.<\/p>\n Driving the news<\/strong>: The FWC is proposing an annual hunting season in bear habitats across Florida, with a hunting permit quota to be determined by the executive director. (Hunters would be allowed to kill one bear per permit.)<\/p>\n What they’re saying<\/strong>: FWC’s Bear Management Coordinator Mike Orlando said at a recent public meeting that the agency wants to “try to manage bear population growth” as bears and humans compete for newly developed areas, USA Today reported.<\/p>\n The other side<\/strong>: Kate MacFall, Florida state director for Humane World for Animals, said in a statement that hounding and baiting bears inflicts “extreme cruelty and chaos in our forests.”<\/p>\n By the numbers<\/strong>: During FWC’s public outreach effort, 75% of the roughly 13,000 comments the agency received were opposed to the black bear hunt.<\/p>\n Catch up quick:<\/strong> The FWC considers the black bear a conservation success story: There were over 4,000 bears in the state as of 2015, up from 2,500 in 2002.<\/p>\n The latest<\/strong>: On May 5, a black bear killed an 89-year-old man and his dog in Collier County. The fatal attack is considered to be the first ever recorded in Florida.<\/p>\n\n
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