Fish and Wildlife creating ‘bear response’ team

Florida Fish and Wildlife is creating a dedicated “bear response” team to help with man vs. animal conflicts.

If you’re interested in black bears and helping humans avoid problems with them, FWC wants to hear from you, according to a press release from the organization.

Bear response contractors will be trained to assist in various conservation efforts. They include helping residents and businesses avoid problems with bears, collecting information from and disposing of dead bears, in addition to setting and monitoring bear traps.

FWC is seeking multiple people to work in counties all over Florida, including Orange, Volusia, Seminole, and Lake.

Seminole, once considered the “epicenter of human-bear conflicts,” has seen a decline of the incidents recently. In 2014, the agency received 921 complaints of bears either scaring residents or making a nuisance of themselves by venturing into garages and porches in Seminole. But in 2020, the number of bear calls dropped to 417.

The position isn’t fulltime as the team will be deployed on an “as needed” basis, according to the press release. Contractors must be flexible with scheduling, use their own vehicle, and can haul a small trailer.

They also need their own insurance, which could cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per year.

Applicants can send their resumes for their county of interest and three professional references to BearManagement@MyFWC. com or FWC, Bear Management Program, 620 S. Meridian St. 6A Tallahassee, FL 32399. shown up with milder symptoms of COVID-19, such as a runny nose, fatigue, or mild cough, doctors have told Hendrix. Some may have diarrhea and nausea too, he added.

The Florida DOH reports the majority of flu cases in Florida and across the nation right now are the A(H3) strain. This strain was covered in the current season’s flu shot, Hendrix said. However, major retailers such as CVS, Walgreen’s and Publix are no longer offering flu shots for this season.

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there have been at least 4.3 million flu illnesses, 42,000 hospitalizations, and 2,500 deaths from flu this season.