mama black bear with cubs attacks florida woman in her garage

[Hill Ape]

http://gma.yahoo.com/black-bear-mauls-florida-woman-drags-her-garage-164756458--abc-news-topstories.html

[Pedaling Fool]

I've read a few stories on this already, trying to get a picture as to what exactly happened, but as is typical it's hard to tell -- some reports even said that all five bears attacked, but I'm sure that's not the case. I know some people will think that it was a mother protecting her young, but that's not typical black bear behavior.

For now it seem like maybe the bear was startled and attacked out of fear, feeling trapped, but who knows maybe the reports may be revised to discount that; to be continued...

[johnnybgood]

[QUOTE I know some people will think that it was a mother protecting her young, but that's not typical black bear behavior.

...[/QUOTE] Not necessarily so....

While the element of suprise is certainly a major contributor to black bear attacks on humans , the PERCEIVED threat to a mama bears cubs can definitly cause sudden aggression toward that threat . Black mama bears are protective of their offspring and should never be underestimated , even if the likelyhood of a attack is small there is still no reason to flirt with the percentages.

[WingedMonkey]

A case of a woman being caught off guard between a bear and it's food source (her garbage).


Initial reports said the woman had been attacked by five bears, but officials do not believe that's the case.

"As far as we know there was only one aggressive bear," Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Lenny Salberg said during a press conference Sunday afternoon.


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-bear-attack-lake-mary-20140412,0,7893060.story

[SunnyWalker]

Glad the lady is ok! One does not expect typically to find Bears in their yard!

[bfayer]

I guess I missed it, but where in the article does it say that the bear that attacked was a Mama bear with cubs?

All I read was there were bears of different sizes and one of them attacked the lady.

I pray she recovers quickly with minimal long term effects.

[Pedaling Fool]

I know some people will think that it was a mother protecting her young, but that's not typical black bear behavior.




Not necessarily so....
While the element of suprise is certainly a major contributor to black bear attacks on humans , the PERCEIVED threat to a mama bears cubs can definitly cause sudden aggression toward that threat . Black mama bears are protective of their offspring and should never be underestimated , even if the likelyhood of a attack is small there is still no reason to flirt with the percentages.
[QUOTE

...
[/QUOTE]
I said, "... not typical black bear behavior". It's a well documented fact that black bear mommas don't protect their offspring from humans; however, that's not to say they don't protect their offspring, it seems as though they rely more on the cubs hardwired instinct to climb a tree. However, that's not to say it would never happen, but it's very atypical. My primary point was that people will assume that as the only possible explanation of the attack, especially the way the article was written.







Bears will never find trash in my garbage; I'm so crazy about having a clean trash can that I wash it out even though nothing but clean stuff goes in there:D

[Hill Ape]

"The bears were various sizes so we think it's probably cubs of different maturity and perhaps a mama bear," the Seminole County Sheriff's Office told ABC News.


with the way the media has become so sensationalist with every story, rushing to report before half of one detail has ever been confirmed, i take everything these days with a grain of salt, and figure the truth won't be sussed out for a week at least, and even then you have to stir things around and pick the most likely scenario of anything

could have well been a racoon in her trashcan

[Pedaling Fool]

I guess I missed it, but where in the article does it say that the bear that attacked was a Mama bear with cubs?

All I read was there were bears of different sizes and one of them attacked the lady.

I pray she recovers quickly with minimal long term effects.

I'm haven't read where any article came out and said it, but this is an excerpt from the OP's article; I highlighted areas that mention cubs:


Excerpt:


"The bears were various sizes so we think it's probably cubs of different maturity and perhaps a mama bear," the Seminole County Sheriff's Office told ABC News.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said there was at least one bear involved in the attack but couldn't corroborate the report that there had been five bears.

Frana managed to get inside the house, said her husband. Her son found her collapsed in the living room and called 911. She was then taken to a local hospital where she was treated for at least three bear bites and several cuts all over her body.

Frana was released from the hospital Sunday morning and is recovering at home, her husband said.
Wildlife officials are concentrating on finding the bears, and put out traps and searched for them throughout the night.

The attack happened in an area 10 miles from where another woman, 54-year-old Susan Chalfant, was mauled by a black bear (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/12/fla-officials-kill-bear-linked-to-attack-on-mom/) while walking her dogs last December.

Although there has been an increase in bear sightings in the area, in general, black bear attacks on humans are highly unusual and occur mainly when a bear feels her cubs are threatened, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

[gof]

I know this has been posted on the forums before but here is a site with some info on bears in N America:

http://www.bear.org/website/

It is very atypical for black bears to "pounce". Bluff charge - yes, pounce - no.

I am glad that the woman was not more seriously hurt.

I find myself speculating that the bear might have been provoked. Maybe there is more to the story.

<speculation tag> What if the bear was being "chased away" from the delicious treats? Might it act like a wild animal? <end speculation tag>

[MuddyWaters]

Yeah, mama bear runs cubs up a tree, then runs off into the bushes to hide. She dont attack. She might bluff.

What I heard on news, was bears were eating garbage. They might try to protect a food source. Some dogs will.

[martinb]

I'm familiar with the area where this happened. There are a number of bears that aren't afraid of humans due to easy trash pickins and bird feeders. Feel bad for the woman but this is purely a people problem.

[Rocket Jones]

Something I heard somewhere has always stuck with me. A bear can be chased off while trying to steal your food. Once he has it, it becomes HIS food and will defend it.

[Brer Sam]

Florida wildlife officers shot one aggressive bear and euthanized three others last night. They said the mama bear didn't exhibit normal behavior.

http://www.newsherald.com

[RF_ace]

it would surprise you how much wildlife is around the orlando metro area. we used to catch boars in my office parking lot in downtown winter park, not far from downtown orlando

[Odd Man Out]

I'm familiar with the area where this happened. There are a number of bears that aren't afraid of humans due to easy trash pickins and bird feeders. Feel bad for the woman but this is purely a people problem.


Florida wildlife officers shot one aggressive bear and euthanized three others last night. They said the mama bear didn't exhibit normal behavior....

Lots of research indicates that bears that are acclimated to humans are usually less dangerous than bears in wilderness areas with little to no human exposure. This is consistent with the observation that the bear in this incident didn't exhibit normal behavior. Unfortunately, I suspect that the vast majority of people hearing these news broadcasts won't get that message.

[Chair-man]

Woman who was attacked gives TV interview - video (http://www.wesh.com/news/Full-interview-Bear-attack-victim-says-bear-snapped-down-on-head/25464570#!D6tF4)

[RCBear]

Glad the lady is ok! One does not expect typically to find Bears in their yard!

They are actually very common in the Wekiva area just north of Orlando. I camp in the state park occasionally and on multiple stays have awoke to find fresh bear tracks in my site that weren't there when I turned in. My friend lives in the area and every couple of months snaps pics of one or two in or around his property. Although I do keep my weapon close at hand while sleeping, this is the first attack I have heard of in the 16 years I have lived in the Orlando area.

[Pedaling Fool]

Woman who was attacked gives TV interview - video (http://www.wesh.com/news/Full-interview-Bear-attack-victim-says-bear-snapped-down-on-head/25464570#!D6tF4)
When watching this video, just fast forward to ~21-minute point; it starts over and you see more of the woman's description of what happened, than if you start at the very beginning. However, I still have questions, but regardless she should not have run.

I still find it very strange that playing dead with a blackbear is the wrong thing to do, but not so with the grizzly.


There's an interesting study going on with the lionfish http://theweek.com/article/index/259847/conservationists-are-murdering-invasive-fish-to-save-the-caribbean-it-might-be-backfiring and it would be interesting to incorporate some of that with problem black bears in certain areas.

[HooKooDooKu]

I still find it very strange that playing dead with a blackbear is the wrong thing to do, but not so with the grizzly.
I believe it's a relatively simple numbers game...

A typical WILD black bear (i.e. one that is not over-weight from eating from dumpsters) weights about as much as a typical human. So while the bear still is stronger than a human, if you attempt to fight back, you have a chance of convincing the bear you're not worth the effort.

A typical grizzly bear is many times heavier and way much more stronger than a human. Fight back is futile. So your only choice is to play dead hoping the bear quits seeing you as a threat.

Put another way, a human against a black bear is like an SUV and a Mini-Cooper getting into an accident. A human against a grizzly bear is like an SUV and a bicycle getting into an accident.


I'm sure temperment also plays a part in it. But this is NOT the first time I've heard that mama black bears do not attack to protect their young. It seems that that is an attribute of mama grizzly bears that has been improperly attributed to black bears.

[Pedaling Fool]

A typical WILD black bear (i.e. one that is not over-weight from eating from dumpsters) weights about as much as a typical human. So while the bear still is stronger than a human, if you attempt to fight back, you have a chance of convincing the bear you're not worth the effort.That's simply not true. If anything, bears that make a habit of feeding from dumpsters are not as fat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear

Excerpt:

Black bear weight tends to vary according to age, sex, health, and season. Seasonal variation in weight is very pronounced: in autumn, their pre-den weight tends to be 30% higher than in spring, when black bears emerge from their dens. Black bears on the East Coast (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/East_Coast_of_the_United_States) tend to be heavier on average than those on the West Coast (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/West_Coast_of_the_United_States), although black bears follow Bergmann's rule (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Bergmann%27s_rule) and bears from the northwest are often slightly heavier than the bears from the southeast. Adult males typically weigh between 57–250 kg (126–551 lb), while females weigh 33% less at 41–170 kg (90–375 lb).[5] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-Hunter-5)[37] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-scorzafava-37) In the state of California (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/California), studies have indicated that the average mass is 86 kg (190 lb) in adult males and 58 kg (128 lb) in adult females.[32] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-Lariviere-32) Adult black bears in Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Yukon_Flats_National_Wildlife_Refuge) in east-central Alaska (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Alaska) were found to average 87.3 kg (192 lb) in males and 63.4 kg (140 lb) in females, whereas on Kuiu Island (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Kuiu_Island) in southeast Alaska (where nutritious salmon are readily available) adult bears averaged an estimated 115 kg (254 lb).[38] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-38)[39] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-39) In Great Smoky Mountains National Park (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Great_Smoky_Mountains_National_Park), adult males averaged 112 kg (247 lb) and adult females averaged 47 kg (104 lb) per one study.[40] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-40) In Yellowstone National Park (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Yellowstone_National_Park), a population study found that adult males averaged 119 kg (262 lb) and adult females averaged 67 kg (148 lb).[41] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-41) In New York state (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/New_York), the two sexes reportedly average 135 kg (298 lb) and 74 kg (163 lb), respectively.[42] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-42) Adults typically range from 120 to 200 cm (47 to 79 in) in head-and-body length, and 70 to 105 cm (28 to 41 in) in shoulder height. The typically small tail is 7.7–17.7 cm (3.0–7.0 in) long.[34] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBrown1993Ch._.22Bear_Anatomy_and_Physiolog y.22-34)[43] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-43)[44] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-44)[45] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-45) Although they are the smallest species in North America (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/North_America), large males exceed the size of other bear species except the brown bear (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Brown_bear) and polar bears (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Polar_bear).[34] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-FOOTNOTEBrown1993Ch._.22Bear_Anatomy_and_Physiolog y.22-34) The biggest wild American black bear ever recorded was a male from New Brunswick (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/New_Brunswick), shot in November 1972, that weighed 409 kg (902 lb) after it had been dressed, meaning it weighed an estimated 500 kg (1,100 lb) in life, and measured 2.41 m (7.9 ft) long.[46] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-wood-46) Another notably outsized wild black bear, weighing in at 408 kg (899 lb) in total, was the cattle-killer shot in December 1921 on the Moqui Reservation in Arizona (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Arizona).[46] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-wood-46) The record-sized bear from New Jersey (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/New_Jersey) was shot in Morris County (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Morris_County,_New_Jersey) December 2011 and scaled 376.5 kg (830 lb).[47] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-47) Even larger, the most massive black bear recorded in Pennsylvania (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Pennsylvania) (one of six weighing over 363 kg (800 lb) shot in the last 15 years in the state) weighed in at 399 kg (880 lb) and was shot in November 2010 in Pike County (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Pike_County,_Pennsylvania).[48] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-48) The North American Bear Center, located in Ely, Minnesota (http://www.whiteblaze.net/wiki/Ely,_Minnesota), is home to the world's largest captive male and female black bears. Ted, the male, weighed 431–453.5 kg (950–1,000 lb) in the fall of 2006.[49] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-49) Honey, the female, weighed 219.6 kg (484 lb) in the fall of 2007.[50] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-50)




I believe it's a relatively simple numbers game...

A typical grizzly bear is many times heavier and way much more stronger than a human. Fight back is futile. So your only choice is to play dead hoping the bear quits seeing you as a threat.

Put another way, a human against a black bear is like an SUV and a Mini-Cooper getting into an accident. A human against a grizzly bear is like an SUV and a bicycle getting into an accident.


No, it's because the black bear sees you as a food source and the grizzly is simply attempting to protect its young or it's foodsource.


If it was simply a matter of size then you'd be also told to play dead with a polar bear http://nunavutparks.ca/english/visitor-information/polar-bear-safety.html

Excerpt:

"If you experience a polar bear attack use any available weapon such as rocks, blocks of ice, knives, skis or poles."

[ChuckT]

I know that area and it would not surprise me to find out that someone nearby has been actively feeding ("Oh look, isn't that soo cute!") the bears.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.

[HooKooDooKu]

If anything, bears that make a habit of feeding from dumpsters are not as fat.
:confused:
While I can't say for everywhere around the country... when it comes to the area I'm most familiar with (GSMNP), bears that fed on their wild food available inside the park were always smaller than those that would wander into Gatlinburg and go dumpster diving. While dumpster diving bears are not as much of an issue anymore (the national park and city of Gatlinburg have done much over the year to try to keep bears away from people food), the largest bear ever found that I read about weighted about 600lb, where the article you point to points out the average bear in the area is about 100-250lbs.

The article even notes that some of the largest black bears were "cattle killers" or "captive". I don't see anything to suggest that bears that feed strictly on "wild" food are ever fatter than those that become accustom to fatty human food.

[martinb]

I know that area and it would not surprise me to find out that someone nearby has been actively feeding ("Oh look, isn't that soo cute!") the bears.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.

I'm suspecting tbhis, as well. FWC has killed six bears , so far, that were "unafraid" of humans. Now they are offering a reward for info about someone(s) feeding bears in the area. Wouldn't surprise me a bit if this was the case. Not too long ago, and not too far, from where this happened a woman was jailed for refusing to stop feeding bears.

[Hill Ape]

i simply cannot understand the ignorance of people that habituate wild animals. it boggles my mind. talking to them feels like banging my head against a brick wall. i have a neighbor that doesn't actually feed blacks, she feed squirrels, but the bears just openly and casually walk up on her yard, knock over her feeders and snack away. i have begged and pleaded with her to stop.

i not good for anyone. the animal, the people, nothing

[Pedaling Fool]

:confused:
While I can't say for everywhere around the country... when it comes to the area I'm most familiar with (GSMNP), bears that fed on their wild food available inside the park were always smaller than those that would wander into Gatlinburg and go dumpster diving. While dumpster diving bears are not as much of an issue anymore (the national park and city of Gatlinburg have done much over the year to try to keep bears away from people food), the largest bear ever found that I read about weighted about 600lb, where the article you point to points out the average bear in the area is about 100-250lbs.

The article even notes that some of the largest black bears were "cattle killers" or "captive". I don't see anything to suggest that bears that feed strictly on "wild" food are ever fatter than those that become accustom to fatty human food.My primary point is that you don't need a bear to eat dumpster food to reach weights in the 400-500lb range. It happens all the time in nature. When looking at my link you gotta be mindful not to be too fooled by the term average, that doesn't necessarily mean Normal. And don't forget about Bergmann's rule http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann%27s_rule


I'm not saying that bears can not get fat eating out of dumpsters, if they are well stocked, then sure, but they will most likely be unhealthy, not necessarily because they are fat, but for a whole host of other reasons, including undernourishment.

Not sure of your point about "cattle-killers", but captive bears is a whole different thing. Yes, captive bears can get fat, that's easy, but many of the record-breaking sizes seen also occur in nature.

[martinb]

My favorite part about this whole thing was when the local news stated attacks could go up because bears were out of hibernation.

[moytoy]

My favorite part about this whole thing was when the local news stated attacks could go up because bears were out of hibernation.
could not be...we hardly hand any permafrost this year...:p

[bamboo bob]

It seems all whiteblazers favor bears over humans. Bears are getting like deer. Just way more than can be handled. Habitat reduction, etc. But way too many bears and way too many deer and way too many people. Somethings gotta give.

[MuddyWaters]

It seems all whiteblazers favor bears over humans. Bears are getting like deer. Just way more than can be handled. Habitat reduction, etc. But way too many bears and way too many deer and way too many people. Somethings gotta give.


I vote we start getting rid of some people personally.

[moytoy]

I vote we start getting rid of some people personally.
There have been people in history who have tried that. The outcome has not been good.

[Odd Man Out]

could not be...we hardly hand any permafrost this year...:p

Besides, bears don't hibernate.

[Migrating Bird]

I have a bear that has been frequenting our yard for the last month. He/she showed up yesterday during daylight. We feed birds all winter but had taken our feeders down just before his first visit as the weather warmed. We also have 6 acres of apple trees and he is feeding on last years apples. He ran off when I yelled at him, but he returned during the night. We had 2" of fresh snow last night and his tracks are all around.

[martinb]

It seems all whiteblazers favor bears over humans. Bears are getting like deer. Just way more than can be handled. Habitat reduction, etc. But way too many bears and way too many deer and way too many people. Somethings gotta give.

This problem was caused by human ignorance. Bears and humans can co-exists as long as the humans do their part.

[WingedMonkey]

By Christine Stapleton (http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/staff/christine-stapleton/) - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

A judge sentenced three Seminole County residents Friday to 6 months’ probation for feeding bears near the Lake Mary neighborhood where a black bear attacked a woman in April.

Eugene D. Cifers, 63, of Lake Mary, pleaded guilty and Corey D. Zeak, 28, and Lori E. Clem, 29, of Longwood, pleaded no contest to intentionally feeding bears and other wildlife in the area. The charges are second-degree misdemeanors. The three must also pay $200 to the Wildlife Alert Program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and perform 25 hours of community service.
“People who feed bears don’t realize the serious results of their actions,” said FWC Bear Management Program (http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/black-bears/)Coordinator Dave Telesco. “Feeding bears may reduce their natural fear of people, which can lead to someone getting seriously injured and bears being killed.”
More than a half dozen bears were killed by wildlife officials after the mid-April attack of 45-year-old Terri Frana. She told Orlando television station WFTV on Wednesday that residents of her Lake Mary neighborhood need to understand the danger from bears.
“We need to learn to expect them at some point,” she said.
In the moments before her attack, Frana said, there were five bears in her yard, including two that were eating out of trash cans in front of her house.
One of those bears attacked her when she went outside to yell to her children to come back inside the house after they had gone to a neighbor’s house. The children returned to the house unharmed.
Frana said the bear pushed her down, bit her leg and then bit into her skull, trying to drag her into the woods. She ran inside her house, calling her escape “a miracle.” The bear charged at the screen door but was scared off by barking from her dog.
Frana’s fall from the bear attack jarred her cellphone into calling her husband, who didn’t answer the phone. The voicemail message captured audio of Frana’s screams from the attack.
“Those teeth were digging into my skull and I said, ‘Please God, don’t let this be my end,’” she said. “I said, ‘My kids need me. Please spare me.’ And the bear let me go.”




I give the woman attacked credits. Since day one she hasn't blamed the bears.

[WingedMonkey]

Here's a more detailed account of the three that were charged.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-06-20/news/os-bear-feeding-case-seminole-20140620_1_susan-chalfant-wildlife-officers-wingfield-north


Cifers, president and publisher of Florida Media, Inc., a digital and print company, formerly served on the Audubon Florida board and currently is a board member of the Maitland-based Save the Manatee Club, a non-profit co-chaired by singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett."In his heart, I can't imagine Doug would ever knowingly be involved in anything that would cause harm to wildlife," said Patrick Rose, the manatee club's executive director who also served on Audubon with Cifers. "He has a lifelong history of supporting environmental causes in Florida."
Cifers, accused of feeding bears several times between Sept. 1 and March 31, pleaded not guilty Friday to the illegal feeding, a misdemeanor offense. According to the FWC complaint, Cifers "has been intentionally feeding bears, allowing bears access to food and/or garbage multiple times over the past year or so."





Zeak, 28, and Clem, 29, both of Longwood, said little during their arraignment hearings Friday morning.

In the hallway after the hearing, Clem told reporters that she did not intentionally feed them.
"We left a bag of trash out," she said. "I had three children to take care of. It's something I forgot."
But according to FWC's report, the Longwood couple was repeatedly warned by the neighborhood homeowners association and the wildlife agency about leaving garbage out and dumping pots of leftovers on the front lawn. Neighbors, fearful of bears wandering through their community off Hunt Club Boulevard, alerted wildlife officers about the couple.
One neighbor recounted a conversation with Clem in December after Clem was surprised by a large bear peering through her kitchen's sliding-glass door. Clem wondered if the animal was the same bear she had been feeding.

"It looks so big now," Clem remarked, according to the neighbor. Another neighbor said she had seen bears feeding at the couple's front door

[rocketsocks]

Last Summer a kid got bit by a bear in the DWG area, he was with his Father who was feeding it, pretty sure the Father got charged for feeding the bear...Bad Daddy Bad Daddy, bet he won't do that again.

the kid received minor wounds, and was ok, though scared for life I'm sure, might not ever go in the woods again, shame.

[martinb]

Fine is too low. Especially since these people were warned, priorly.