Threats to Black Bears

Each individual Florida black bear population needs a minimum of 500,000 to 1 million acres of area to find food, shelter, and mates, so habitat loss due to development is a major threat to their survival. The leading cause of bear deaths is car accidents—over the last five years, between 125 - 175 bears have been killed each year by vehicles. As Florida communities continue to grow and encroach on bear territory, and recovery efforts contribute to a rise in bear numbers, interactions with the animals are becoming more prevalent, often resulting in the death of the bear.