Black bear weighing nearly 500 pounds found shot dead in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating after a black bear was found shot to death in a Florida residential area earlier this month.

Bill Lueckfeld, who lives in the Foxborough Farms neighborhood of Apopka, said he was walking his dogs around 9 p.m. on June 6 when he found the bear lying on his lawn, NBC affiliate WESH reported.

After finding the bear, Lueckfeld and his wife called authorities and said the FWC had come to investigate and rescue the nearly 500-pound bear.

Lueckfeld told WESH that because of the rain, he initially thought the bear had been hit by a car. However, investigators found a bullet hole in the bear’s lung.

“These animals, in my opinion, are majestic. They’re powerful animals. They’re gentle in a way, as long as you leave them alone and this is their habitat,” Lueckfeld told WESH. “We don’t want to see these animals suffer. We don’t want to see them dead. We love seeing them roaming around the neighborhood.”

Since his neighborhood is near Wekiwa Springs State Park, it is not unusual to see a lot of wildlife nearby.

According to WESH, the incident occurred shortly before Governor DeSantis signed a bill that would allow residents to shoot bears deemed an “imminent threat.”

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jason Shoaf, explained its purpose, saying it would enable citizens to protect their families and pets in the “event of a bear attack.”

“Give Floridians the right to protect their homes, their pets, and themselves and their families in the event of a black bear attack,” Shoaf said.

However, Lueckfeld said he did not agree with the proposed legislation.

“You don’t have to get rid of the bears. The bears are here and they’re going to stay here until we move them further. And hopefully we don’t,” he told WESH.

In Florida, it is illegal to intentionally feed bears or to place food or garbage to attract them. To prevent bear sightings, authorities recommend securing garbage cans. People can also scare bears away by shouting, using an air horn or other loud means.

Anyone who feels threatened or sees injured, orphaned or dead bears is asked to call the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.