Go Back

 

Bear Trapped After Newborn Calf Mauled

    A large Florida black bear believed to be responsible for the fatal mauling of a day-old calf has been captured and removed from the Umatilla area.  The large bear was captured on property near French Lane on Sunday, July 6, hours after a newborn calf was discovered in its death throes by owner Donnie Thomley.
    “It was about 22 hours old,” Thomley said of the calf, which had to be put out of its misery by Thomley, who found it lying on its side, gasping for air, with large bite marks and claw marks on its torso. “It was fine when I left early for church, and when I got back it had been mauled.  I can’t believe it was still breathing, it was so mauled.  It was panting really, really fast.”
    Thomley has around ten cows on his property, which lies just south of the Umatilla airport.  The calf in question had been born just hours earlier, and when Thomley came home, the calf’s mother was in a very agitated state standing several feet away.
    “She was very anxious.”
    Thomley said he feels the bear may have been in the act of mauling the calf when he came home, based on the fact that the calf was still alive and generally intact.  Also, it was just a few feet away from it had been resting when he earlier left.
    “Normally, the bear would have eaten part of it and carried it off.”
    A quick call to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission netted a fast response, with officials arriving in just over an hour to evaluate the situation.  By Sunday evening, a trapping cage had been set, placed where Thomley buried the calf, five feet in the ground and elsewhere on the property.”
    "The trapper asked me where I buried it.  That's where he was going to set the trap."  Thomley said the calf was deep, and was impressed that the trapper was correct that the bear would return to wherever the calf was buried.
    “And it did.”  The bear was caught that first night, and the bear was taken away Monday morning.
    Thomley said he was told the bear was to be relocated elsewhere in the Ocala National Forest.
    Bears are known as omnivores, meaning they will eat a wide variety of foods.  Thomley said he has not had such problems with bears in the past, including chickens he keeps near the spot where the calf was attacked.
    It is possible the bear was attracted to the calf due to its recent birth and the smells that are associated with the process.
    "I don't have any animus toward the bears," Thomley said, noting that later in the week another, smaller bear was seen moving through his property.  Despite losing the calf and its future market value, estimated at $1,200, he feels for the plight of bears.
    "Look at all the homes being put in.  All that used to be a habitat for bears.  They are hungry."
    Officials with the FWC used the occasion to remind area residents that bears are becoming more common in populated areas, and that ongoing efforts to mitigate attractants can reduce negative situations.
    “The best thing people can do to prevent encouraging bears to linger in neighborhoods is to remove potential food sources and attractants – such as unsecured garbage, pet food, and bird seed – from around your property," said Lisa Thompson of the FWC.
    Other tips to avoid conflict with bears include:
·         Protect livestock, gardens, beehives, and compost with electric fencing.
·         Store garbage in a sturdy shed or garage and then put it out on the morning of pickup rather than the night before. If not stored in a secured building, modify your existing garbage can to make it more bear-resistant or use a bear-resistant container. Secure commercial garbage in bear-resistant dumpsters.
·         Remove bird feeders where bears are present or hang them at least 10 feet above the ground and 10 feet away from trees or structures.
·         Feed pets indoors. If feeding pets outdoors, only put food outside for short time periods and bring in leftover food and dishes after each feeding.
·         Clean and store grills. Clean and degrease grills and smokers after each use. If mobile, store them in a secure shed or garage.
·         Pick ripe fruit from trees and bushes and remove fallen fruit from the ground.