The 2025 Florida Black Bear Hunt ended yesterday, December 28. A colleague with a trail cam on public lands in Southwest Florida (open to hunting this year) is now sharing captures of black bears again. The young cub is following his playful sibling, but stops suddenly in front of the camera when he catches an interesting scent (possibly from the camera or cameraman). That extraordinary nose will be his main tool for survival as he grows up - telling him more about his world than we can ever ima

Bears on the beach? 🐻🌊 While seeing a bear swimming in the shallows of a crowded beach is unusual, to say the least, swimming is something that black bears are pretty good at! It actually isn’t unusual to hear of black bears swimming in the Gulf, on their way to barrier islands in search of food (will swim for food!). And right now juvenile bears, ages 1 ½ - 2 ½, are dispersing from their mothers’ home ranges in search of new home ranges of their own – sometimes ending up in unexpected places

Florida black bears are well adapted to life in and around water - and moments like this show just how comfortable they are in the Everglades. �Strong swimmers, these bears regularly wade through sloughs and wetlands while traveling between feeding areas. Their diet here is mostly plant-based, including fruits, berries, and grasses, with wetlands providing both food and natural corridors for movement. As an umbrella species, the presence of black bears reflects the health of large, connected hab