Many people are surprised to learn that there are black bears in Florida, but the state does have a population of bears in the Ocala National Forest and one in the Everglades, plus a scattering of smaller pockets of bears such as the one in this article about the capture of a “backyard bear” in Hernando County.  Please pay particular attention to the comments by the wildlife officers that are quoted in the article.  Their comments are relevant to bear situations in any area that has bear activity.