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2014 SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST 13(1):26–39
Testing Bear-Resistant Trash Cans in Residential Areas of
Florida
Mark A. Barrett1,*, David J. Telesco1, Sarah E. Barrett1, Katelyn M. Widness2,
and Erin H. Leone1
Abstract - Human–bear interactions in Florida are becoming more common as human
populations grow and as the range of Ursus americanus floridanus (Florida Black Bear)
increases and bears adapt to finding food in a human-modified environment. The number
of calls to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) concerning
human–bear interactions increased from approximately 1000 calls in 2000 to more than
4000 in 2010. Almost 70% of the calls received in 2010 were related to bears consuming
garbage or other unnatural foods (e.g., pet food) in residential areas. Therefore, the FWC
used telephone surveys in 2 Florida communities to evaluate the effectiveness of using 2
types of bear-resistant trash cans. Surveys revealed a significant reduction in the number of
bears consuming garbage and of other human–bear interactions over a 1-year period and,
consequently, a positive attitude from residents toward using these trash cans. Apportioning
the cost of issuing bear-resistant trash cans, however, remains a concern. This study will
help the FWC understand the efficacy and acceptability of using bear-resistant trash cans to
reduce human–bear conflicts in support of long-term management of Black Bears in Florida.
Introduction
Human–wildlife interactions are becoming more common as human populations
grow and encroach on natural areas. Some wildlife populations are also increasing
and may habituate to and in some cases thrive in human-modified surroundings by
entering urban and suburban areas to find food and shelter, increasing the frequency
of interactions with humans. Interactions with wildlife can be benign, solicited
(e.g., at bird feeders), or unwelcome (e.g., when property is damaged). When
humans have negative reactions to encounters with a wild animal, the animal is
usually deemed a nuisance, a term commonly used to describe a variety of wildlife
species that enter human-inhabited areas, including bears.
Ursus americanus Pallus (American Black Bear) have historically ranged
throughout the southeastern United States. Florida, southern Georgia, and southern
Alabama are occupied by U. a. floridanus Merriam (Florida Black Bear), a subspecies
of the American Black Bear (Brady and Maehr 1985). The Florida Black Bear
occurs in 48 of Florida’s 67 counties, its range covering approximately 32% of the
state (45,300 km2) (FWC 2012). In 2002, the Black Bear population in Florida was
estimated to be at least 3000 (FWC 2012). In 2010, Florida’s human population
1Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street 6B, Tallahassee,
FL 32399. 2 Florida State University, Department of Urban and Regional Planning,
333 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306. *Corresponding author - mark.barrett@
myfwc.com.
Manuscript Editor: Roger Applegate
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2014 Vol. 13, No. 1
was estimated at 18.8 million (US Census Bureau 2010). Expansions of both
populations in Florida in recent decades have caused an increase in human–bear
interactions, particularly in residential areas, where bears often search for food.
Black Bears are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. In Florida, bears forage
in a wide range of habitats (Maehr and Brady 1982), and plant material makes up
approximately 80% of their diet (Maehr and DeFazio 1985). Typical food items
include fruits, berries, herbaceous matter, mast (especially acorns), and colonial insects
(Maehr and Brady 1984). Bears in Florida have relatively large home ranges,
averaging 40 km2 for females and 65 km2 for males (FWC 2012). They may expand
their home range, however, when natural food sources become scarce as a result of
seasonal or climatic variations or habitat loss or degradation (Lindzey et al. 1986,
Maehr et al 1988, Moyer et al. 2007) and forage in developed areas. Such shifts in
foraging behavior sometimes create conflicts and also increase bears’ reliance on
anthropogenic food sources (Beckmann and Berger 2003).
Although bears often consume garbage near human dwellings, other types
of human–bear interactions occur as well, ranging from benign observations to
threat behaviors by bears toward humans, such as posturing or bluff charging.
Bears will also consume wildlife feed or pet food, cause property damage, or injure
or kill pets or livestock. Black Bears are usually non-confrontational, but the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has documented injuries
to humans caused by bears in Florida. Of the 14 people injured by bears, 11
involved bears that were accessing garbage or other anthropogenic food sources
(e.g., pet foods, bird feeders; FWC, Tallahassee, FL, unpubl. data). From 2008
through 2012, the FWC euthanized an average of 16 bears per year, primarily because
food conditioning had caused them to lose their fear of humans, resulting in
dangerous situations. Reducing the frequency of bears foraging in human communities
would benefit both bears and humans.
When a human–bear interaction occurs, the FWC is usually contacted to respond
to the situation. The number of such calls increased from approximately 1000
calls in 2000 to more than 4000 in 2010 (FWC 2012). Almost 70% of the calls
received in 2010 were related to bears accessing garbage and other unnatural food
sources in residential areas. Consequently, there is a strong impetus for the FWC
to focus its efforts to reduce bears’ access to these anthropogenic food sources.
The FWC has pursued three primary approaches: raising public awareness of the
conflicts created by bears seeking garbage, increasing the availability and use of
bear-resistant trash cans, and creating an enforceable rule (Florida Administrative
Code 68A.4001[3]) in 2004 that prohibits unfavorable actions that attract bears,
including allowing bears access to garbage.
Our objective in this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of 2 types of trash
cans equipped to prevent access by bears. The trash cans were tested in 2 residential
communities in Florida: Glenwood and Willow Bend. Results from this study will
help the FWC understand the effectiveness of bear-resistant trash cans in reducing
human–bear conflicts, an integral factor in managing bears in increasingly humandominated
areas.
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Field-Site Description
The study areas were located in occupied bear range within residential communities
of Florida (Fig. 1). Glenwood, a neighborhood of more than 400
residents located in the city of Deland, in Volusia County, is located near the largest
subpopulation of Florida Black Bears. This Ocala/St. Johns subpopulation was
estimated in 2002 at more than 1200 bears (Simek et al. 2005). Willow Bend, a
neighborhood of approximately 485 residents in Fort Walton Beach in Okaloosa
County, borders Eglin Air Force Base. Willow Bend is proximate to the Eglin subpopulation
of bears, one of the smallest in the state, estimated in 2002 at around
100 bears (Simek et al. 2005).
Within a 2.5-km radius (≈20 km2) of Glenwood, land cover was predominantly
forested upland (46%), forested wetland (14%), agricultural land (13%), and urban
area (9%). An equivalent area around the Willow Bend neighborhood was primarily
forested upland (31%), forested wetlands (26%), and urban area (37%). Land-cover
data were summarized from a statewide GIS map layer (Kautz et al. 2007).
Methods
We tested the effectiveness of 2 types of bear-resistant trash cans. Commercially
manufactured bear-resistant polycarts (BearSaver, Ontario, CA) were
tested in Glenwood. The polycarts have rollers and a capacity of 95 gal; they
have a bear-resistant latch and steel-reinforced side rails, back corners, and lid
(Fig. 2). A polycart costs about $150 more than a common residential trash can
(approximately $50) of similar size. We distributed polycarts to 119 homes in
Glenwood in February 2011.
Modified residential trash cans (Fig. 2) were tested in Willow Bend. We
modified 95-gal capacity rolling residential trash cans in an attempt to make them
bear-resistant by attaching two metal gate hasps near the front corners of the cans.
One part of each hasp was attached to the side of the can, the other to the lid. A
metal dog-leash clip or carabiner was used to secure the gate hasps and lock the lid
closed. The hardware cost approximately $20 per trash can. We modified trash cans
at 250 homes in the Willow Bend community in March 2011.
Limited resources allowed for only one type of bear-resistant trash can to be
tested for each study area. Glenwood was issued the more expensive polycarts
because the County indicated an opportunity might be possible for government assistance
to help fund the program in the future. For residents in both study areas,
using bear-resistant trash cans was a voluntary process, though we ensured entire
streets were issued a polycart for Glenwood or modified hardware for Willow Bend.
Therefore, no gaps occurred between neighbors having bear-resistant trashcans.
Survey data
Before bear-resistant polycarts were issued or hardware was installed, FWC
staff canvassed the neighborhoods and met with many residents to discuss ongoing
human–bear interactions and ask about their knowledge of how to prevent human–
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bear conflicts. To reduce confounding factors that might skew results, we advised
residents to secure their trash until the morning of garbage pick-up, secure pet food
and other animal feed at night, and keep their property clear of all other potential
attractants (e.g., unclean barbeque grills) to bears.
We collected survey data through telephone interviews with residents at least 18
years of age. We conducted a pre-intervention survey (i.e., before receiving polycarts
or hardware) and two follow-up surveys (at 6 and 12 months post-intervention)
Figure 1. Map depicting study areas in Florida where bear-resistant trash cans were used.
At Willow Bend (inset: 1 cm = 100 m), modified hardware for residential trash cans was
installed; at Glenwood (inset: 1 cm = 500 m), commercial polycarts were issued. Primary
range (contiguous area with documented evidence of female bears and reproduction) and
secondary range (areas in which bears consistently occur with infrequent evidence of females
or reproduction) were delineated in 2004.
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for both study areas (Table 1). The pre-intervention survey consisted of 12 openended
questions without response choices. Some questions depended on an answer
to a previous question, so some respondents were not asked all 12 questions. Questions
addressed a range of human–bear interactions and residents’ attitudes before
they received polycarts or hardware. The 6-month and 12-month post-intervention
surveys each consisted of 16 dichotomous, rating, or contingency questions. We
coded the answers to most survey questions as: 0 = not applicable, 1= yes, 2 = no.
The 6-month surveys were conducted between September–November 2011, and the
12-month surveys were conducted between February–March 2012 for each study
area. We attempted to contact residents twice for each survey. Due to logistical
constraints (e.g., residents moved or decided not to be interviewed), the post-intervention
questions were not always given to the same respondents who answered the
pre-intervention questions, though the majority of respondents were the same from
beginning to end of the study (Glenwood = 59%, Willow Bend = 98%). Also, Question
9 in the post-survey (Table 1) was only asked of Glenwood residents because
many of them stated their trash cans were damaged by waste service personnel
prior to bear-resistant trash cans being issued. Therefore, we wanted to distinguish
whether trash cans were damaged by bears or by waste service personnel.
Statistical analyses
We performed statistical analyses separately for each study area, Glenwood
(polycarts) and Willow Bend (modified trash cans), using SAS v9.3 (SAS Institute
Inc., Cary, NC). To compare differences between time periods in the percentage
of people who reported experiencing a human–bear interaction or bears accessing
trash cans, we built generalized linear mixed models assuming a binary distribution;
models included time period as a fixed factor and residence of respondent
as a random variable to account for repeated surveys at each residence. To test
Figure 2. A commercial bear-resistant polycart (left) and a residential trash can
(right) with hardware attached to make it more bear-resistant. Inset: close-up of
hardware on residential trash can.
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for changes in the frequency of human–bear interactions over time, we performed
a chi-square analysis across the 3 time periods (pre-test, 6 months use of bearresistant
trash container, 12 months use of bear-resistant trash container) and 8
frequency categories (daily, every few days, weekly, monthly, every few months,
every 6 months, every 12 months, and never). We used the SURVEYMEANS procedure
to estimate response rates and the standard error of the mean.
Human–bear interactions reported in surveys (Table 1) that were described in
analyses above included two general categories: bears accessing trash and all other
types combined. To gain understanding as to why bears might remain in residential
Table 1. Survey questions concerning human–bear interactions and use of bear-resistant trash cans for
Glenwood and Willow Bend study areas in Florida. Pre-intervention questions took place before bearresistant
trash cans were issued, and post-intervention questions consisted of interviews 6 months and
12 months after bear-resistant trash cans were issued.
Pre-intervention survey
1. Have you experienced any bear interactions on your property?
2. What types of bear interactions have you experienced?
3. How often have you experienced bear interactions?
4. Have you ever contacted FWC about your bear interactions?
5. Did FWC send you any information regarding your bear interactions?
6. What measures were offered by FWC to prevent future bear interactions?
7. Did you follow the advice given by FWC staff?
8. What measures have you taken to deter bears?
9. Were the measures effective at reducing your bear interactions?
10. Are you still personally experiencing bear problems?
A) If yes, please describe the problems.
B) If no, how long did it take the bear problems to end?
Post-intervention survey
1. Have you experienced any bear interactions at your property since receiving your bear-resistant
trash can?
2. What types of bear interactions have you experienced since receiving your bear-resistant trash
can?
3. How often have you experienced bear interactions since receiving your bear-resistant trash can?
4. Have you contacted FWC about your bear interactions since your bear-resistant trash can has
arrived?
5. Besides the bear-resistant trash can, what measures you have taken to deter bears.
6. Were those measures effective at reducing your bear interactions?
7. How effective have the bear-resistant trash cans been in reducing your bear interactions?
8. How easy is it for you to use the bear-resistant trash can?
9. Did you experience any differences in how your bear-resistant trash can was serviced compared
to your previous trash can?
A) If yes, describe the differences.
10. Would you recommend a bear-resistant trash can to other individuals to resolve bear interactions?
11. Should bear-resistant trash cans be provided to residents in your area?
A) If yes, would you be willing to contribute toward that extra cost?
B) If yes, what percentage or total amount would you be willing to contribute toward that extra
annual cost?
12. Should your local government require trash to be secured from wildlife, such as bears?
13. Does your area need more education/outreach about bears?
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areas equipped with bear-resistant trash cans, we separated the combined human–
bear interactions into 3 categories and examined them with descriptive statistics for
each study area. Category 1 was defined as a bear trying unsuccessfully to open a
bear-resistant container (i.e., polycart or hardware-modified trash can). Category
2 included observations of bears occurring on a resident’s property regardless of
behavior type (e.g., feeding at wildlife feeders, causing property damage, entering
a residential building). Category 3 included bears roaming within the neighborhood
viewed by a resident, but the bear was not on that resident’s property nor was it
reported to exhibit behaviors from Categories 1 or 2.
Results
We successfully completed 107 telephone surveys in the Glenwood study,
including pre-polycart (n = 39), 6 months polycart use (n = 37), and 12 months
polycart use (n = 31) surveys. Of the 119 polycarts distributed to residents, these
surveys represent 33%, 31%, and 26%, respectively, for pre-test, 6-month, and
12-month survey periods. In Willow Bend, 139 telephone surveys were successfully
completed, including pre-test (n = 66), 6 months bear-resistant modified can
use (n = 51), and 12 months bear-resistant modified can use (n = 22) surveys. Of
the 250 trash cans modified for residents, these surveys represent 26%, 20%, and
9%, respectively, for pre-test, 6-month, and 12-month survey periods.
Glenwood
The percentage of people reporting human–bear interactions decreased across
the 3 time periods (F2,104 = 10.23, P < 0.001). Human–bear interactions declined
sharply from pre-intervention to 6 months post-intervention, and although
interactions rose 12 months post-intervention, they remained lower than at preintervention
(Fig. 3). Reports of bears accessing trash cans decreased between
the pre-intervention and both 6- and 12-month periods (F2,104 = 18.31, P < 0.001;
Fig. 3). After 12 months, bears still tried to breach polycarts (Category 1: 18.2%),
and the percentage of encounters in the yard (Category 2) decreased from 85% to
32%. Survey reports of bears in the area (Category 3) remained nearly the same
(23.1% pre-intervention; 20.7% at 12 months post-intervention).
The frequency of human–bear interactions differed across the 3 time periods
(χ2
12 = 48.64, P < 0.001). During the pre-intervention time period, 28.2% of
residents reported seeing bears at least every few days; this dropped to 3.2% by
the 12-month survey (Table 2). For the pre-intervention period, only 5.1% of
respondents reported that they had seen no bears, whereas during the 6-month
post-intervention period, that percentage increased to 70.3%. But the percentage
decreased to 38.7% in the 12-month survey (Table 2).
After 12 months of having polycarts, 90.3 ± 4.64% of respondents felt that
polycarts were very effective in reducing human–bear interactions, 96.8 ± 2.77%
would recommend the polycarts to others to reduce human–bear interactions,
and 61.3 ± 7.64% thought the polycarts were easy to use. A minority of respondents
(3.2%) indicated that polycarts were difficult to handle by waste-service
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personnel in that seven (6%) polycarts were treated roughly and damaged and
could no longer be used. Furthermore, in the 12-month survey, 90.3 ± 4.64% of
respondents agreed that polycarts should be provided to residents in their area,
25.9% said they would be willing to share 11–50% of the cost of the polycart,
and 32.1 ± 7.73% would not be willing to share any cost. Finally, 61.3 ± 7.65% of
Table 2. Frequency of human–bear interactions during pre-intervention and 6- and 12-month postintervention
in the Glenwood and Willow Bend neighborhoods. Bear-resistant polycarts were used in
Glenwood, and modified residential trash cans were used in Willow Bend.
Glenwood Willow Bend
Frequency Pre- 6-mo 12-mo Pre- 6-mo 12-mo
Daily 10.3 2.7 3.2 18.2 5.9 0.0
Every few days 17.9 0.0 0.0 28.8 3.9 0.0
Weekly 15.4 2.7 9.7 4.5 5.9 4.5
Monthly 17.9 5.4 3.2 7.6 17.6 13.6
Every few months 17.9 10.8 19.4 0.0 17.6 4.5
Every six months 0.0 8.1 25.8 3.0 11.8 0.0
Every 12 months 15.4 0.0 0.0 7.6 0.0 9.1
Never 5.1 70.3 38.7 30.3 37.3 68.2
Figure 3. Percentage (±SE) of respondents experiencing human–bear interactions and bears
in garbage across survey periods (pre-intervention and 6- and 12-month post-intervention)
in Glenwood, FL. Pre-intervention refers to responses prior to issuing bear-resistant polycarts.
Similar letters are not significantly dif ferent (P > 0.05) for each response type.
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respondents thought local government should require that trash be secured from
wildlife, such as bears, and 45.2 ± 7.81 % said that their area needed more public
education/outreach about bears.
Willow Bend
The percentage of people who experienced human–bear interactions decreased
across the 3 time periods (F2,136 = 4.98, P = 0.008), as did the number of people
who observed bears accessing garbage cans (F2,136 = 12.39, P < 0.001) (Fig. 4). A
decrease was evident for bears accessing garbage after 6 months, but not until 12
months was there a decline detected in human–bear interactions (Fig. 4). Some
respondents (16.2%) in the 12-month post-intervention survey reported that a
bear unsuccessfully attempted to breach the trash can (Category 1). Between the
pre-intervention and 12-month survey, the number of bears reported in the yard
(Category 2) decreased from 40.5% to 15.8%, and the number of bears in the
area (Category 3) decreased from 24.4% to 4.6%.
The frequency of human–bear interactions differed across the 3 time periods
(χ2
12 = 44.08, P < 0.001). During the pre-intervention time period, 47% of residents
reported seeing bears at least every few days; this had dropped to <10% by 6
Figure 4. Percentage (±SE) of respondents experiencing human–bear interactions and bears
in garbage across survey periods (pre-intervention and 6- and 12-month post-intervention)
in Willow Bend, FL. Pre-survey refers to responses prior to installing bear-resistant hardware
to residential trash cans. Similar letters are not significantly different (P > 0.05) for
each response type.
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months and to zero by 12 months post–hardware installation (Table 2). Moreover,
the percentage of residents indicating that they never saw a bear increased from
38% before receiving the hardware to 68% by 12 months post-intervention.
After 12 months of having hardware-modifed trash cans, 72.2 ± 9.28% of
respondents reported that the hardware was effective in reducing the number
of human–bear interactions, 90.9 ± 5.99% of respondents said that they would
recommend the hardware to other residents having bear problems, and 68.2 ±
9.71% thought the hardware modified trash cans were easy to use. Furthermore,
in the 12-month survey, 95.0 ± 4.77% of respondents thought hardware modified
trash cans should be provided to residents, 77.78 ± 9.63% of respondents
said they would be willing to share the extra cost for the hardware, and of those
respondents 85.7 ± 7.47% would be willing to contribute at least 60% of the cost;
11.0 ± 7.28% would not be willing to share any cost. Finally, the majority of respondents
(72.7 ± 9.28%) felt that their local government should require that trash
be secured from wildlife, such as bears, and 63.6 ± 10.0% believed that their area
needed more outreach/education about bears.
Discussion
The prevalence of bears frequenting urban and suburban areas is a growing
concern in Florida as human populations increase, bear ranges expand, and bear
habitat is lost or encroached upon because of human activity (FWC 2012). An
important action that can address this issue is the elimination of anthropogenic
food sources that attract Black Bears to human developments (e.g., Graber 1989).
The dramatic decrease in the number of observations of bears in garbage in both
of our study areas strongly suggests the long-term efficacy of the 2 methods for
keeping bears out of the garbage. Although survey reports for both study areas
were relatively low, our results were further supported by independent data. Specifically,
the total number of bear incidents reported to the FWC (independent of
survey-related calls) decreased in both areas combined from 52 one year prior to
the study to 16 after issuing bear-resistant trashcans during the study, a 69.2%
decrease (FWC, Tallahassee, Fl, unpubl. data). The number of human–bear interactions
increased between the 6-month and 12-month surveys in Glenwood;
however, it was still significantly less than that prior to issuing polycarts. These
increased human–bear interactions in Glenwood could be a factor of bear ecology.
However, it is presumably a result of bears that remained in the area or yard
because they had been conditioned to forage around residential areas (especially
if natural foods were scarce) or because other unnatural foods remained available.
For example, wildlife feeders or unsecured pet foods would entice bears
to return to the area and while in the area possibly attempt to break into polycarts
as well. Another reason could be the bear population is at a higher density
around Glenwood compared to Willow Bend, so the replacement rate is higher
as bears continue to visit the neighborhood in search of food even if trash is unavailable.
Also, people may have become complacent and stopped using their
polycarts properly, so bears again visited those homes, increasing the number of
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observations of bears. This result suggests the need for an all-or-none approach
whereby all residents of a neighborhood must properly use bear-resistant trash
cans to maintain the reduction in human–bear interactions over the long term.
However, even if bear-resistant trash cans are 100% effective, bears will continue
to enter neighborhoods if other easily accessible potential food items remain
available, especially when natural foods (e.g., mast) are not abundant and bears
are searching larger areas for sustenance (Beckmann and Berger 2003).
Securing all potential food items is key to decreasing encounters with bears,
but other actions can also help. For example, the FWC encourages residents to
use nonlethal methods (e.g., loud noises, shouting, remote alarm systems) from
a safe distance to scare bears out of their neighborhoods. But even these tactics
will not be fully effective if garbage or other unnatural foods are not made inaccessible.
Indeed, even bears driven off by potent nonlethal deterrents (e.g.,
dogs, rubber buckshot/slugs, bear spray) returned to residential areas within
1–2 months when anthropogenic food sources were still accessible (Beckmann
and Berger 2004, Mazur 2010). Another management option is translocation of
bears involved in conflicts, but it is not always viable, especially when a bear is
habituated to humans and is food-conditioned (Annis 2007, Linnell et al. 1997).
Translocated bears can create conflicts in the area in which they are released,
return to the area in which they were captured, or be replaced by other bears that
may also cause conflicts if attractants have not been removed (Annis 2007). Furthermore,
translocated bears may roam for long distances after being displaced
(e.g., Stratman et al. 2001) and cross roadways, increasing risks to themselves
and motorists. Vehicle collisions can be a major mortality factor for translocated
Black Bears (Comly-Gericke and Vaughan 1997, Eastridge and Clark 2001) and
account for more than 80% of the known mortality in the Florida Black Bear
population (FWC 2012). Vehicle collisions with large mammals can also have
high social and economic costs associated with human injury or death and vehicle
damage (Conover et al. 1995).
Proactive measures (e.g., securing trash, electrical fencing, education) dealing
with human behavior are much more efficient than reactive methods (e.g., aversive
conditioning, relocation, euthanasia) in reducing human–bear incidents because
changing or managing human behavior is more likely to provide longer-term solutions
than managing a wildlife species alone (Baruch-Mordo et al. 2009). Spencer
et al. (2007) reported that of the North American wildlife agencies surveyed in 39
states, almost 80% preferred to use garbage management, fines, or education as
techniques for discouraging human–bear conflicts, followed by aversive conditioning
(15%) and relocation (5%) of bears. Education on bear behavior and ecology
is an important proactive measure for those who live in bear country and for those
outside of typical bear habitat that may deal with dispersers or an expanding bear
range. Increasing the level of public understanding can increase tolerance toward
bears, especially those in people’s immediate surroundings or on their property
(Kellert 1994, McCool and Braithwaite 1989). Education can also accentuate the
message that not all bears in or near neighborhoods will lead to a conflict. Some
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bears may simply be habituated to human developments and commonly occur
near roads or neighborhoods without causing human–bear conflicts (Hopkins et al.
2010). Finally, tolerance of bears by citizens can be established and elevated by
experienced professionals (e.g., wildlife officials) who share knowledge with and
express respect and concern for the person involved in a bear interaction (Madison
2008, Seimer et al. 2009).
Unfortunately, the effectiveness of proactive measures is not the sole determinant
of their acceptance. For example, opinions of Glenwood residents on the cost of the
bear-resistant polycart were less positive than their attitudes toward using polycarts
to reduce human–bear interactions on their property. Many respondents said they
would not be willing to pay for a polycart, and those who would were reluctant to
indicate a specific amount they would be willing to contribute. Some responses indicated
this reluctance resulted mainly from fear that their answers would result in
an extra monthly service charge. In 5 counties of Florida, waste-service companies
charge an extra $5–$15 per month to service bear-resistant polycarts. Therefore,
cost and individual financial situations might play a larger part in influencing the
management tools (e.g., polycarts) used to alleviate human–bear interactions than
would the effectiveness of the tools themselves. However, the modified hardware
effectively reduced human–bear interactions and was a highly supported method
by residents of Willow Bend, and thus may provide a more economical solution for
those areas that cannot afford to purchase polycarts.
The FWC is investigating methods of encouraging availability and use of bearresistant
polycarts in several counties. Using proceeds generated from sales of
“conserve wildlife” license plates, the FWC has provided funds to waste-service
providers in areas where human–bear interactions are frequent. In addition, the
FWC will work with waste-service providers to ensure proper servicing of bearresistant
trash cans because improper servicing caused irreparable damage to 7
bear-resistant trash cans in the Glenwood study. Funds are being used either to cover
additional costs the waste-service provider would charge customers to service
bear-resistant polycarts or to share the cost of purchasing bear-resistant polycarts.
Those efforts will be evaluated to determine their effectiveness in increasing the use
of bear-resistant polycarts.
Although positive results were found in the current study, further research is
necessary. Intensity and type of human–bear interactions and the feasibility of issuing
bear-resistant trash cans may be different in other areas of Florida. Inference
can be expanded by including more replicate neighborhoods (with corresponding
control sites) near other bear populations in the state. Also, considering other factors,
such as food availability, seasonality, and bear ecology specific to the focal
area, could aid in interpreting results of human–bear interactions (Gore et al. 2006).
Nevertheless, outcomes from the current study provide important information on
using proactive measures to reduce human–bear incidents and offer insights into
human attitudes and behaviors toward those measures applied in residential areas
of Florida.
Southeastern Naturalist
M.A. Barrett, D.J. Telesco, S.E. Barrett, K.M. Widness, and E.H. Leone
2014 Vol. 13, No. 1
38
Acknowledgments
Florida residents funded this project through their voluntary purchase of “conserve
wildlife” license plates. The Wildlife Foundation of Florida granted (grant number 0708-
05) a portion of the proceeds of the license plate to the FWC to purchase the bear-resistant
polycarts for this project. Multiple interns from Florida State University and the University
of Central Florida collected information on bear activity and surveyed residents for this
study. M. Orlando and C. Connolly met with Glenwood residents on multiple occasions
throughout the study and prepared and delivered polycarts. Lowe’s of Gulf Breeze, FL,
graciously sold to the FWC at cost the hardware used to secure trash cans. Multiple FWC
staff and Eglin Air Force Base personnel attached the hardware to the cans and monitored
the Willow Bend project area. We thank W. McCown, B. Scheick, B. Stys and B. Crowder
for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
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