Florida wildlife officials will meet today for an update on the state’s black bear population, and animal protection groups fear the discussion will lead to a hunt.

Florida’s wildlife commissioners will meet today for an update on the state’s black bears, but animal protection groups fear the discussion will lead to a hunt.

“Floridians don’t want another hunt,” said Kate MacFall of the Florida chapter of the Humane Society of the United States, one of the groups planning to speak up at the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting near Tallahassee.

The last hunt, staged in 2015, killed 304 bears before it was halted two days into the weeklong season.

Thomas Eason, a wildlife biologist nicknamed “Dr. Bear” by FWC commissioners, said his presentation won’t include any“We’re thing specific about another hunt, but the topic is always raised during public comment.

An agenda item on the commission’s website describes the scheduled discussion as an update that will touch on “bear populations, habitat conservation, conflict-management efforts, and public outreach” over the past year.

Six months after the 2015 hunt, FWC announced results of a long-awaited bear-population survey. It described the species as “strong, robust and growing.”

The count, conducted before the hunt, estimated the state had 4,350 bears, up about 60 percent from 2002 when the agency last tallied the number of bears in Florida.

Florida black bears unique subspecies. are a

hoping FWC does finally listen to what the public wants,” said Bryan Wilson, Central Florida coordinator of Animal Rights Foundation of Florida.

The group unfurled a banner over Interstate 4 from the Conroy Road overpass Monday morning, urging motorists, “Tell FWC NO BEAR HUNT!”

Police made the group remove the banner.

Wildlife commissioners banned hunting of the state’s largest native land mammal for 21 years before authorizing the 2015 bear hunt by a 5-1 vote. The commission voted to hold off on a bear hunt last year.

Two bills, both introduced in the Republican-dominated Legislature by Democratic lawmak-