Stop taking selfies with the depressed bear, Florida sheriff tells drivers

Give the bear some space, officials in Walton County said Thursday. It's depressed.

The Walton County Sheriff's Office asked drivers on the north side of Highway 98 near County Road 83 in Santa Rosa Beach to please stop trying to take selfies with a bear spotted sitting on the side of the road.

"Famous last words, 'If not friend, why friend shaped?'" the WCSO said in a Facebook post. "Because this black bear is stressed depressed lemon zest.

"Onlookers were trying to take selfies with the bear and he’s clearly not in the mood for pictures," the WCSO said. "The bear has shown signs of severe stress."

Officers from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission came to handle the bear, the Sheriff's Office said.

The sighting comes at the end of a busy week for bears. Last weekend a bear was spotted walking up to a North Port home and hanging around the front door. Fort Myers residents tracked a bear wandering around a Dunkin' on Friday.

Stay away from bears, the FWC says

Never approach, try to feed or take pictures with bears, the FWC warns. This is the time of year they're more likely to be active around urban areas and roadways.

“Juvenile or yearling bears – between the ages of 1 1/2 -2 1/2 – start dispersing in spring and summer each year,” said the FWC’s Bear Management Program Coordinator, Mike Orlando in a release. “The best thing people can do if they see a bear in an unexpected area is to give them plenty of space and to never approach or feed them and they will typically move along on their own.”

Younger bears are looking for new habitats this time of year, and mating season for black bears is from mid-June to mid-August, according to the U.S. Forest Service. "During this time of year, black bear sightings increase in suburban and urban areas, including in cities such as Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and others around the state.," Orlando said.

Do not feed the bears

"Generally, if a bear is not able to find food and is given space, it will move on," Orlando said. "Feeding bears can make them lose their natural fear of people." It's also illegal in Florida to intentionally feed bears or leave out food or garbage that will attract them. The FWC offers these tips

• Store garbage in a sturdy shed or garage and then put it out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before.
• If not stored in a secured building, modify your garbage can to make it more bear-resistant or use a bear-resistant container.
• Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
• Protect gardens, beehives, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
• Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes and remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Remove wildlife feeders. or only put enough food in them for wildlife to finish before dark.
• Feed pets indoors, or only put out enough for short time periods and bring leftovers and dishes back inside.
• Clean and degrease grills and smokers after each use and, if possible, store them inside.

If you see a bear

If you spot one, let your neighbors know and keep your dog inside or on a leash.

If you're having a problem with a bear, call 911 or the local FWC regional office.

If you spot an injured, orphaned or dead bear, feel threatened by a bear, or to report someone who is either harming bears or intentionally feeding them, call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Can you shoot bears in Florida?

Officials say in recent years there has been a significant increase in human encounters with bears. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission reports a 33% increase in animal nuisance calls, with nearly 6,000 bear-related calls out of a total of 14,000 calls in 2022.

As of July 1, under a new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, Floridians may use lethal force to kill a bear "if the person "reasonably believed that his or her action was necessary to avoid an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to himself or herself, a pet, or substantial damage to a dwelling." The FWC must be notified within 24 hours and the person may not "possess, sell, or dispose" the dead bear or its parts.