Florida Fish and Wildlife said a female cub bear has been caught in a trap in Seminole County but they don’t believe it is the bear that attacked a woman Monday night.
Wildlife officers say sometime overnight the bear cub ventured into one of three traps set with glazed donuts as bait.
Bear biologists gathered hair samples, and examined this heavily sedated female cub. They will run tests, but they say the cub is too small to fit the description of the bear that attacked the woman.
The attack happened just after 8 p.m. on English Ivy Court in Longwood off Markham Woods Road, about a mile west of Wekiva Springs State Park and near a popular fitness trail.
Florida Fish and Wildlife said Susan Chalfant, 54, was able to get away and ran to a neighbor’s home who called 911. Seminole County Fire Rescue rushed Chalfant, who suffered facial wounds and heavy bleeding, to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The dogs were not hurt.
FWC has set up traps in the area to try and catch the bear.
Wildlife officials actually kept the trapped bear cub in the trap for much of the day, hoping it might lure the aggressive bear to them.
"The first thing the agency is concerned with is the person that was injured, our thoughts and prayers are with her," said Mike Orlando with Florida Fish and Wildlife. "Public safety is number two, we have to exhaust all of our measures to make sure the general public is safe."
Bear sightings are frequent in the neighborhood, which is located next to the Wekiva River conservation area. Hundreds of people bike, walk and run on the Wekiva fitness trail that runs right by where this attack happened.
Human-bear conflicts in Florida
Florida Fish and Wildlife said a bear threatening a human is rare.
From 1980 to 2012, only 1 percent of bear encounters involved a bear threatening a human.
Most of the encounters involved seeing a bear in the area, in a yard or in a tree (38 percent), or seeing a bear rummaging in the garbage (31 percent).
According to FWC, Lake, Marion, Seminole and Volusia counties make up the majority of the calls regarding black bear sightings. The Ocala National Forest, a major bear habitat, spreads out into all over those counties.
What to do if you encounter a bear
If you encounter a bear at close range, remain standing upright, back up slowly and speak to the bear in a calm, assertive voice.
Do NOT feed or intentionally attract bears. If a bear eats something on your property, take note of what it is and secure it once the bear leaves.
NEVER approach or surprise a bear. If you see a bear from a distance, enjoy the experience, but do not move toward the bear. If you are close, do not make any sudden or abrupt movements. Back away slowly and be sure the bear has an obvious escape route.
If you are in your yard:
- Make sure that you are in a safe area and that the bear has a clear escape route. Then, make noise or bang pots and pans to scare the bear away.
- Do NOT turn your back, play dead, climb a tree or run. Back away slowly into the house or secure area.
- Avoid direct eye contact. Bears and many other animals may view this as aggressive behavior.
- Report any bear that is threatening the safety of humans, pets or livestock, or causing property damage to the FWC.
How to keep bears away from your home
- Secure household garbage in a shed, garage or a wildlife-resistant container.
- Put household garbage out on morning of pickup rather than the night before.
- Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
- Protect gardens, apiaries, compost and livestock with electric fencing.
- Encourage your homeowners association or local government to institute ordinances on keeping foods that attract wildlife secure.
- Feed pets indoors or bring in dishes after feeding.
- Clean grills and store them in a locked, secure place.
- Remove wildlife feeders or make them bear-resistant.
- Pick ripe fruit from trees and remove fallen fruit from the ground. Bears love fruit!
- Screened enclosures are not secure and will not keep out bears.