Wildlife Education » Bears

Big bear visit

Bear — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:07:22 +0000

This is a very big black bear at a friends home, note the size of the boat, pool and pic-a-nic table compared to the bear.

My girls Annie (red head) and Danielle “Dani”

Bear — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:45:50 +0000

They go with me sometimes on bear calls

Bear work up for release

Bear — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:41:35 +0000

The procedure for “working up” a bear for release involves measuring, weighing, temperature taking, lip tattoo, and hair sample taken.

Lip tattoo number corresponds with ear tag number

On site bear release

Bear — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:10:32 +0000

This bear was not the bear that was to be caught. So I “on site” release him which means no work up (tagging , tattooing etc.) just open the door and release him. I was alone so no pics of him running away, I was paying attention to make sure he did not charge me.

While you were sleeping

Bear — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:38:24 +0000

These were taken with a motion detection night cam while campers slept. This is a large male bear cruising a private camp ground. The bear eventually gets in the tent where food was kept, the campers were not harmed but shaken up. However, this kind of lack of common sense behavior can get both the bear and the people killed. This particular camp ground had campers attracting bears in several ways. The management and campers were put on notice and problem has been rectified.

Orphaned Cub “Sparky”

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:38:37 +0000

I recieved call at midnight one weekend of a Mama bear and two cubs in a tree. The mama was electrocuted because the power lines were about 6 inches from the tree. When I was 5 minutes away the caller told me a cub was just electrocuted and the power company was turning the power off. As I was just about a minute away the last cub was electrocuted. I arrived and found that the caller had jumped into the water at night and pulled the last cub from the water and resusitaed him. She said she could not see the other bears but did hear splashing, but they were dead when I saw them. The live cub had fallen 30 feet after being shocked (blew the transformer), hit the ground and started shaking ,then rolled into the water, according to the woman. I thought for sure he was a goner, she had put him in a kennle while I loaded his mama and sister into my truck. I was sure he would die enroute to my house. I set him up in a large kennel ,he was very listful, but looking at me. The next morning I expected to find a dead cub but instead he was very awake and climbing like a chimp on crack. He is fine and eating very well and believe it or not ,this cub is as strong as a….well…bear lol.
He is lucky in more ways than one because bears imprint and habituate to humans quick, so normally since there only a couple rehab facilities in the whole US that can raise a bear..PROPERLY, he would be euthanized. However this cub is very independent, we evaluated him and we arranged for rehab,and in about 6 months he was released. That is truly a miracle.

Release of 135 pound sow bear

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:19:59 +0000

She was a small adult that already had 2 cubs that have left the nest. She was slated for euthanasia because it was believed she broke into a camper people were living in. Upon investigation I found this to be untrue, in fact it was an abandoned dilapidated camper used to store garbage, including used baby diapers, a favorite treat for black bears.

Her life was spared and we collected data from her, I released her in the Ocala forest.

Gently prodding her toget the drug circulating out of her system to help her wake up.

There she goes

Bear release

Bear — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:10:37 +0000

This was a release for a 400 pound bear relocated in the Ocala national forest.

More pics to come on this guy.

Big Bear

Bear — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:19:04 +0000

This a very big bear. We had to double up two 500 pound capacity scales to weigh him. I read one scale and my friend read the other. The bear was starting to wake up and was moving making the scale pointer move. The scales were fluctuating because of this, but we both read 310 pounds for a few seconds before the bear started moving again.

The pointer stayed at 310 pounds for each of us longer than other weights. This meant that when you add both weights showing on both scales you get the weight of the bear. So I put the bear at 620 pounds and as you can see ,he is massive.
Five minutes after this pic was taken the bear was on his feet and walking into the bush. The green you see on his face is left over smudging from the tattoo we gave him on his lip. It matches the number on his ear tags incase they fall out.

Photo by Fred Bohler

Bear Habitat

Bear — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 22:17:29 +0000

This is typical bear habitat complete with telltail signs of the bear being there.
Sage brush

Palmetto Palms

Bear slough up to rotton tree to find grubs + other insects

Shredded rotton log from a bear looking for grubs and other insects

Bear den, in Florida bear dens can be just a depression, cleared area or hole

Bear poop full of palm nuts. Nuts and berries are the most common item found in bear poop. In the fall, bear poop is often full of two striped walking stick insect exoskeletons as well.

Photos by Fred Bohler