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Florida homeowners warned not to feed three-legged bear

Posted at 2:00 PM, May 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-09 14:42:55-04

Florida wildlife officials say a three-legged bear has been spotted in Seminole County and so far, the bear seems to be doing well. They’re just reminding everyone to keep their distance.

A video posted to a neighborhood site shows the bear first standing up behind a tree blocking the camera view, then when it makes a move down the driveway, it appears to hop, with its right front paw missing.

In Colorado, we’re warned throughout the year to be ‘bear aware’ by not leaving out tasty treats or giving them any reason to come near human habitats.  The same is true for anyone unlicensed by the state who thinks they are doing the right thing by helping an animal which appears to be in distress.

As for the unusual bear spotted in Florida, people are being told leaving the animal alone is absolutely the best thing for it. State wildlife experts don’t want people to ignore established rules simply because the bear seems to have less mobility.

“It appears to be thriving, our biologists have looked into it, we’ve been aware of it for a few months now. The main thing, it can take care of itself,” said Chad Weber, of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife the warmer weather means bears will be emerging from their winter dens to explore and search for food.

Homeowners can take many steps to avoid putting bears in danger by not enticing animals into backyards, driveways and garages.

Bears are naturally attracted to common items such as dog food, bird food and trash.

Homeowners can now take an assessment of their properties to be bear safe. That includes: bringing bird feeders inside by dusk, keeping pet food secured or indoors and not leaving trash out in the open and only bringing dumpsters to the curb as close to pick up as possible.

CPW has a variety of resources for everyone in Colorado regarding living among bears whether at home or while spending time in the mountains. You can read all of the information available in the links below.

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Now is the time to be bear aware