Florida wildlife officials are moving forward with plans to reinstate a state-sanctioned bear hunt, a decision drawing both support and opposition in the wake of the state’s first fatal bear attack ...

Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade is officially set to move forward after a unanimous vote by the state’s Fish and ...

The first black bear hunt in Florida in a decade will take place in December under a rule adopted Wednesday by state wildlife ...

The first black bear hunt in Florida in a decade takes place in December under a rule adopted Wednesday by state wildlife ...

Bear Warriors United, an Oviedo-based nonprofit dedicated to defending Florida's wildlife, filed a lawsuit Aug. 15 to block ...

The new rules will establish bear hunting zones within four of the seven existing bear management units. The FWC says in ...

A Florida black bear was captured on video swimming in the Gulf off a Naples Beach May 30, 2025.

In early May 2025, 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog were killed by a black bear in Florida. This incident marked the first fatal black bear attack in the state’s history.

Robert Markel of Jerome was mauled in the woods near his home, officials said. FWC officials were called to the property after Markel's daughter reported seeing a bear kill Markel's dog.

It was determined that 89-year-old Robert Markel of Jerome, south of the Big Cypress Wildlife Management Area, was mauled by a 263-pound male black bear, Naples Daily News reported.

In early May 2025, 89-year-old Robert Markel and his dog were killed by a black bear in Florida. This incident marked the first fatal black bear attack in the state’s history. This tragic loss ...