Black Bears in Florida : Bears and Roads

Bears and Roads

Black bear habitat is intersected with highways and roads. While searching for resources including food and mates, bears often cross busy roads. Many make it across, but others are struck and killed.

Since legal hunting was closed in 1994, approximately 89.5% of the known bear mortalities are caused by vehicles.

Because bears are such large animals, vehicles that strike them are often damaged and collisions with bears can cause injury to the vehicle occupants.

Conservation efforts to reduce vehicle-bear collisions include: warning signs, slower posted speed limits, bear crossing information warning motorists at rest stops and tourist information areas, and wildlife underpasses.

To avoid collisions with all wildlife, be alert by driving slower in heavily wooded areas, areas with low lighting or visibility, and areas marked with warning signs.

Vehicle collisions with bears have increased steadily since 1976, when data collection first began. Many factors contributed to this increasing trend. Some of the more prominent factors include:

1. increasing bear populations,

2. increasing traffic volumes and speeds, and

3. bear movements due to dispersal and food availability.

The impact of this increasing trend differs depending on whether the bear populations are also increasing, decreasing, or remaining stable.

FWC has completed several studies to determine the impact vehicle collisions have to Florida's bear populations. One study identified Principal Roadkill areas within the state. Principal roadkill areas are identified as those areas which have 3 or more roadkill instances within a distance of one mile.

Similar to the number of human/bear conflicts, most of the vehicle-bear collisions since 1976 have occurred in the Ocala bear population.

Previous research studies have investigated ways to reduce this loss in one of the principle areas: State Road 40 through the Ocala National Forest.