Just as bears in Florida begin to eat more food in anticipation for the winter season, Orange County officials will distribute bear-proof trash cans to help reduce the amount of possibly dangerous human-to-bear encounters throughout the northwest part of the county.
- Bear-resistant trash cans now available in Orange County
- Cans available for $50 to people in northwest region
- Cans typically cost $250
"They [bears] eat whatever they can out of the bag and leave garbage everywhere," resident Sue Cannon said.
On Tuesday, Cannon was one of 19 homeowners near the Apopka area who paid for and received new bear-resistant trash cans compatible with the county's automated trash pickup service.
Black bear sightings have become more common throughout Orange County since neighboring Seminole county enlisted the use of the trash cans.
Over the past few years wandering black bears have traveled further south from the Ocala National Forest, seeking easy meals from trash cans.
After months of searching, Orange County leaders discovered a bear-resistant can they say will work to reduce the amount of access bears have to human waste.
"There's a magnet in the lid and when that metal gets to a certain degree, then the trash lid pops open and the trash goes from the can to the garbage truck," Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson said Tuesday.
The hope with these bear-resistant cans is that the bears won't be able to get easy access to food, and therefore won't want to stick around in the neighborhoods and instead turn back to their natural habitats.
"After their second or third try through the neighborhood, when they can't get to your trash can, they quit coming?" Commissioner Nelson said.
Using grant funding, the county purchased 910 bear-resistant trash cans. While the cans typically cost about $250, the county is distributing the cans to homes for only $50.
However, more than 10,000 people live in the bear management zone of Northwest Orange County. If they run out of cans, the county says they'll work to reapply for more grant funding.
Anyone living in the northwest Orange County area, classified as a bear management zone, can qualify for the new trash can. All you have to do is apply on the Orange County website.