HIBERNATION
Surprisingly, the Florida Black Bear does not hibernate in the traditional sense. Although all black bears in North America hibernate because of a lack of food and low temperatures, bears in the South stay in dens for shorter periods of time and sleep less deeply than bears in colder climates. Bears in the South will wake up and run away if someone comes close to their den. The Florida black bear will only be inside its den from a few weeks to a month. Dens can be found in tree cavities, fallen logs or even dense vegetation on the ground.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS
Although seeing a black bear in Florida is rare, the increase in urban development may increase the chances of you having a close encounter with one. If you do see a bear in the wild the best thing to do is to leave it alone and let it pass right by. Most bears are afraid of humans and will usually run away before you’re aware of them. The number one rule is to not feed the bears. Once bears lose their fear of humans they can become dangerous.

Bears are also naturally curious, especially when it comes to delicious human food. Many human/bear interactions happen when a bear stumbles onto a person’s yard or home in search of food. The best way to avoid a bear in your backyard is to discard any food left outside and make sure garbage is stored in a sturdy container in the garage or shed.

Resources for this article have been provided by Wikipedia and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.