Black Bear Invades Home for Easter Candy

A black bear with a serious sweet tooth is making waves in an Estero neighborhood after a homeowner there said it broke into her house and swiped some Easter candy.

That bear, estimated to be up to 400 pounds, reportedly broke into the home in the southwest Florida neighborhood Friday night, giving residents quite a fright, NBC reported.

“He was making slobbering noises and bear noises,” Caroline Tidwell told the station. The noise woke her up and once she realized just what was amiss, she woke up her husband.

The ensuing commotion scared off the critter, but it happily returned the very next morning to scour the neighborhood for more food.

“We opened the window and just banged on the pot and said go away bear,” Tidwell was quoted by WPTV as saying about the Saturday incident.

While it’s unclear just what type of Easter candy was the bear’s favorites, it is clear that efforts are under way to trap the critter. Both stations reported a trap has been placed outside the Tidwell home.

This latest close encounter of the furry kind comes on the heels of the state’s decision to move ahead with plans to open a limited hunting season on black bears. Earlier this year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission proposed ending a 20-year ban on black bear hunts. The plan was approved, but final details must still be hammered out before hunters can attempt to cull the population.

See Also:

• State Approves Black Bear Hunting
• Massive Black Bear Killed in Florida
• Dog Stops Bear Attack on Florida Teen

The move to reopen black bear hunting came on the heels of multiple encounters with black bears – some of which didn’t end quite as happily as the Estero encounter.

“We are taking a more aggressive approach to conflict bears in neighborhoods and will continue to partner with counties, municipalities and homeowner associations to reduce conflicts by securing bear attractants like garbage,” FWC Chairman Richard Corbett was quoted at the time as saying. “Properly securing garbage and other attractants is the single most important action for reducing conflict situations with bears.”

Florida’s black bear population has grown in recent years, along with the number of complaints related to the creatures. The state has witnessed several recent bear attacks.

The state outlawed black bear hunts in 1994 when the population of bears in Florida dwindled from an estimated 11,000 at the turn of the 20th century to less than 500 in 1974. The black bear population is estimated to be above 3,000 at this time.

In 1990, the commission fielded 99 complaint calls related to bear. In 2014, that number rose to 6,312, down slightly from the 6,667 fielded in 2013, the agency noted.

For more information about Florida’s black bear population, visit MyFWC.com/Bear online.

Stock photo of a bear courtesy of FWC

Keep up with what’s happening around town and the state by signing up for your favorite Patch daily newsletter: Bloomingdale-Riverview, Bradenton, Brandon, Carrollwood-Northdale, Clearwater, Dunedin, East Lake, Gulfport, Land O’ Lakes, Largo, Lutz, New Port Richey, New Tampa, Palm Harbor, Pinellas Beaches, Safety Harbor, Sarasota, Seminole Heights, South Tampa-Hyde Park, St. Pete, Tarpon Springs, Temple Terrace, Westchase.