About 10 years ago, Persons photographed a bear as it climbed a sloped palm tree toward his hunting blind. Hidden in the blind, Person was about 3m from the bear when he started shooting photos. Hearing the sound of the camera shutter, the bear put its paws together, walked down the palm tree and disappeared.
The bears Persons encounters at Seminole Woods are wild. They fear humans. If they notice something irregular, they're gone - except in rare cases in which someone comes between a female bear and her cub, as Persons did once by mistake.
What wildlife officials struggle with is human-bear encounters around neighborhoods, businesses and campgrounds, where bears often return again and again in search of easy meals.
In the town of Astor on the east side of the Ocala National Forest, an electric fence has been placed around the Dumpster behind Sterling's Family Restaurant to keep bears away. This summer marked the first time in 20 years the restaurant has had a bear problem.
At the Astor Family Market, a bear continues to raid the Dumpster every night, leaving a trail of rubbish leading into the woods behind the store. Managers secure the Dumpster lid with a chain and padlock, but the bear finds a way in. Assistant manager Theresa Reaves said the store is on a waiting list for a bear-proof Dumpster.
At the Alexander Springs campground this summer, a bear noticed a man pulling a cooler from the back seat of his truck and approached him. The man dropped the cooler and reported the incident. Considered too aggressive, the bear was captured and killed.
"Once a bear learns an ice chest contains food, that search image is embedded in its head," said Carrie Sekerak, a biologist with the US Forest Service. "A bear is probably as smart as a human toddler. They're smarter than the smartest dog you've ever owned."
"Black bears are not dangerous at all," Dick said. "It's the people who are dangerous to the bears. The best way to see a bear is its rear end running away from you."
Florida black bears
>> Species: The Florida black bear, ursus americanas floridanus, is one of three subspecies of the American black bear. It has a highly arched forehead and a long, narrow brain case.
>> Status: Listed as threatened by Florida except in Baker and Columbia counties and in the Apalachicola National Forest.
>> Size: Adult males reach 110kg to 250kg. Females reach 50kg to 110kg. The largest Florida black bears on record are 280kg (male) and 170kg (female).
>> Lifespan: The oldest Florida bear was 18 when it died.
>> Cubs: Florida bears typically give birth to two or three cubs every other year, usually in February. The cubs stay with the mother for about 18 months. Nearly 25 percent of cubs die before they reach two years of age from starvation, predation by other bears or collisions with cars.
>> Danger to humans: There has never been a documented human attack by a Florida black bear. They are generally shy. Those that become too aggressive in seeking food may be moved or euthanized.
>> If you encounter a bear: It should run away if it sees you. Bears dependent on human food sources or females protecting their cubs can become threatening. If confronted, avoid direct eye contact, speak calmly, stand upright and back away slowly. Make sure the bear has an escape route. Do not run.
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