Save Florida’s Black Bears from Cruel & Unsustainable Hunt

Florida’s black bears are gentle, intelligent, and iconic animals who have lived in our forests long before our communities ever did. But these beloved creatures are now at risk — not because of science or ecological necessity, but because the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is choosing politics over science and compassion.

In a stunning legal admission, FWC leaders claimed they do not have to base their votes on science at all. That means the very agency responsible for protecting wildlife believes it can greenlight a bear hunt without credible population data, without transparency, and without accountability. For Florida’s bears — and for anyone who cares about them — this is a shocking betrayal.

We’ve already seen the devastating consequences of rushing into a hunt. In 2015, Florida opened its first bear hunt in decades. It was supposed to last a week. It ended in just two days — with 304 bears killed. Among them were at least 36 lactating mother bears, leaving helpless orphaned cubs to starve alone in the woods. Floridians were outraged, biologists warned the population could suffer long-term harm, and the state vowed to do better.

But now FWC is preparing to authorize another hunt, again without conducting the up-to-date, peer-reviewed population studies that scientists say are essential. Instead of safeguarding a recovering species, the agency is putting Florida’s bears on the firing line.

Florida’s black bears deserve protection rooted in science, compassion, and honesty — not politics or special-interest pressure. We must not allow another cruel, reckless hunt to tear bear families apart and push this species backward.

Sign the petition to demand that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:

1: Reject any bear hunt until comprehensive, transparent population science is completed.

2: Commit publicly to using science — not politics — to guide all wildlife decisions.

3: Protect Florida’s black bears with the compassion and care they deserve.

Add your name to defend Florida’s black bears and demand science-based protection from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — before more lives are lost.

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Source

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/04/florida-wildlife-agencys-leaders-claim-they-dont-have-to-follow-science/