The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to an incident earlier this month when a black bear injured a man at his home in Daytona Beach while he was letting his dogs out. The man received non-life-threatening injuries after springing into action to save his dogs, which were ultimately unharmed.
Security camera footage that was made public shows the man standing on his screened-in back porch with his dogs at around 7:30 p.m. on January 19, when a black bear aggressively starts to enter through the doorway. The man then reflexively fights back. He can be seen making loud noises, pushing the bear, and quickly blocking the entryway with a nearby bench.
FWD biologists and law enforcement immediately responded to the event and have since been attempting to capture the bear. Unfortunately, since the bear is now considered a danger to people, officials will have to euthanize the animal if captured per FWC policy.
“To reduce human-bear conflicts, remove or secure all food attractants from around your house and yard, including garbage, pet food, and birdseed,” the FWC said in a news release regarding the event. “To avoid an encounter between a bear and your dog, bang on your door and flip your house lights on and off to give the bear time to leave the area before letting your dog out. If your dog and a bear get into a fight, make noise and use your bear spray or a water hose if available. If the bear makes contact with you, fight back aggressively.
Following the incident, officials canvassed the surrounding area to alert residents of the potential threat and provide tips on avoiding conflicts with bears.
“While this is the second incident of a bear injuring a person within a week’s time, these incidents are extremely rare in Florida,” the FWC said. “The FWC receives up to 6,000 bear-related calls a year and have documented only 15 incidents of people being moderately to seriously injured by bears in more than 50 years.”
Black bear encounters with humans are frequent in Appalachia. Read about a recent incident with a Blue Ridge Outdoors staff member here.
Cover photo courtesy of Getty Images
