The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, said it approved the controlled hunting of up to 320 black bears in October, marking the first time in more than two decades that the animals will be hunted.
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Environmentalists and animal rights groups oppose the planned hunt, which the FWC justified on the grounds that black bears had become a nuisance in many areas, attacking people and pets, and scavenging for food around homes.
The FWC said hunting would be allowed for at least two days, with officials evaluating the results on the third day before deciding whether to continue or call off the one-week hunt.
Officials estimate that about 3,100 bears live in Florida, with the animals moving into areas where they did not have a presence in the past.
Some 1,900 hunters have obtained permits from the FWC, raising concerns among environmentalists that the hunt will get out of control once it starts on October 24.
The permits, which allow hunters to kill only one bear, cost just $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents.
Hunting will be allowed on state lands in the eastern Panhandle, the north and central parts of the state, and in the southern counties of Broward, Collier, Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach.
The hunt would stabilize Florida’s bear population, which was nearly wiped out in the 20th century and has recovered from about 300 animals in 1974 to 3,100 today, making the big predators a conservation success story, the FWC said.
The increase in the black bear population and rising complaints since 2013 due to attacks on people led state officials to stage the hunt.
Conservation groups and animal rights organizations criticized the hunt but were unable to keep the 1994 ban on bear hunting in place. ■
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