Florida's Black Bears: Abundant, or Endangered?By KRISTEN STERNBERG
NIE EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT Nobody really knows how many Florida black bears there are. Over the years, people have cleared forests for space to live and work, and to sell the lumber and other products from the trees. As a result, there are a lot fewer bears than there once were. Bears require a lot of space to roam and forage for food, and they are constantly on the move, so it's hard to get an accurate count. Scientists estimate, however, that between 1,200 and 1,800 Florida black bears are currently living. Therefore, the bears are labeled as a threatened species. Whether their numbers increase, or whether they become more endangered, depends on many factors, such as loss of habitat, drought conditions and human interference.
Bear crossing
A black bear crosses the Volusia County School Board Administration Center's parking lot near Wisconsin Avenue just west of North Clara Avenue. (Photo: News-Journal/Peter Bauer) |
Due to efforts by conservationists, there are signs that the bear population is on the rise. A large number of black bears live in the Ocala National Forest. There, the bears' numbers are increasing. However, with the human population of Central Florida also growing, problems are bound to occur.
Bears frequently wander into areas where people live. As more and more forests are cleared for development and industry, new roads are built to provide access, and when a bear and a car collide, the bear usually loses. Reports of bears killed on Florida roads are becoming more and more common.
Sightings of live black bears are also increasing in Central Florida. A black bear was recently photographed wandering among the buildings at the School Board Administration Center! Another recent News-Journal article documents a Florida black bear strolling through downtown DeLand!
Make a list of some other factors you can think of that might affect the population of the Florida black bear-in either positive or negative ways. What are some things YOU might do to help Florida's black bears? Check out a News-Journal article about Central Florida's Black Bear Festival to learn more.
Try these fun activities using The News-Journal!
- Choose a section of the newspaper. Scan through it, and every time you see the name of an animal, write it down. How many animal names did you find? Try this with a friend, each using a different section of the paper. Compare your lists. Then, using your list of animals, try the following: a) Put the names in alphabetical order. b) Draw a picture of each animal on your list, and display them at home or at school. c) Group or sort the names or pictures of the animals "collected" by size, then by color, by habitat, by foods eaten, and by geographical area. Can you think of other ways to group your collection? (Sunshine State Standards: VA.A.1.2.1, VA.B.1.2.1; MA.D.1.21)
Peek-A-Bear
A Florida Black bear peeks out of the woods in the Ocala National Forest. Wildlife officials are hoping to gather an accurate census by using DNA-sampling of the bear population in Florida. (Photo: News-Journal/Kelly Jordan) |
- Discuss with a friend what an ideal habitat for a Florida black bear would be, including foods, shelter, space requirements, and so on. After studying examples of real estate classified ads from your newspaper, write a real estate ad for "property" that might appeal to a Florida black bear. Does such a property exist? (Sunshine State Standards: LA.B.1.2.1, LA.B.1.2.2, LA.B.2.22. LA.B.2.2.3; SC.G.1.2.2, SC.G.1.2.5, SC.G.2.2.2, SC.G.2.2.3)
- Loss of habitat is a huge threat to the Florida black bear. These bears are not the only wild animals whose needs sometimes conflict with human activities. Use the newspaper to find articles about human and wildlife interactions. Find one or more friends to discuss the articles with. How many of the articles have a positive, or happy, ending? What can people do to minimize the negative interactions? (Sunshine State Standards: LA.C.1.2.3, LA.C.1.2.5. LA.C.3.23, LA.C.3.2.5)
- Look the Ten Facts About Bears web site to find out what foods bears eat. Then, from your newspaper, clip out names and pictures of foods that are parts of a bear's diet. Make a collage of your clippings by pasting them onto a large sheet of construction paper or poster board. Be sure to display your collage in your home or classroom! (Sunshine State Standards: VA.A.1.2.1, VA.A.1.2.3, VA.B.1.21, VA.B.1.2.4)
- Environmental issues such as global warming, rainforest destruction, and consumption of all kinds of fuels, from oil to coal to wood, impact the quality of life for humans and wild animals alike. In the newspaper, locate an article showing how some individuals and organizations are working to protect the environment. Write a letter that you would consider sending the individual or organization, stating why you do or do not agree with the action taken. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.2.2.5, LA.B.2.2.3, LA.B.2.2.6)
A copy of Florida's Sunshine State Standards can be found at intech2000.miamisci.org.
Related Article:
Group studies how cubs are raised
Sticking out its tongue and upper lip, the wriggling black bear cub looked for all the world like an unhappy toddler. A group with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were examining the cub and its sister with the help of two University of Florida graduate students, to learn more about bears and their babies.
Take a Quiz!
1. True or False: The federal Endangered Species Act was adopted just after World War II. | 2. How many species are currently listed on the Endangered Species Act?
A. 183
B. 1,830
C. 11, 830 | 3. Proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act would delete the government's ability to protect critical h_____ and require the c_____ of landowners if their development plans are blocked. | 4. Of the 1,830 plants and animals that have been listed as endangered species which is higher, the number that have recovered or have been taken off the number which have become extinct? |
Check out these links to learn more:
Intern Natalia Borrego rests a bear cub on her leg as University of Florida graduate student Aletris Neils measures its length Wednesday after they pulled it from its den in the Ocala National Forest. (Photo: News-Journal/David Tucker)
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Young bears are called "cubs." At The Cub Den web site you can see pictures of all kinds of bears, including the Florida black bear. Use this link to find how many different kinds of bears there are. What is the smallest kind of bear called?
At The Cub Den, also read "Ten Facts About Bears" to find the different foods bears eat. Of all the foods mentioned at the site, which do humans and bears have in common? Which of the foods that bears eat would you probably NOT like?
If you like pictures of bears, you can see an online slide show at the Defenders web site.
Do you know how fast a black bear can run? You'll learn the answer to this, along with other fascinating facts, at the American Bear web site.
The Newspaper Association of America's web site contains links to many of our nation's and world's newspapers. Visit the site and check out some other newspapers to see if they have articles about bears or other wildlife. To access the newspapers at the site, select a state. Click on the "Internationals" button to view choices from other countries.
Published January 8, 2001
Updated April 6, 2006 QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. False. It was enacted in 1973; 2. B. 1,830; 3. Habitat / Compensation; 4. Recovered = 15 / Extinct = 9
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