For Immediate Release

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers have determined a Santa Rosa County farmer was justified in shooting a large male bear while it was killing his goats.

Holley resident Jerry Lee Cash, 60, shot the 370-pound bear at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday inside a fenced enclosure at his farm on 3319 Bob Tolbert Rd. The bear killed two goats and was chasing others. FWC biologists already had been to Cash’s home twice in the past week after the bear killed five other goats.

“Mr. Cash contacted the FWC and followed our recommendations to keep the bear away from his goats. He had put up an electric fence and moved his other goats to smaller pens inside his property, but unfortunately the bear was still able to get at them,” said FWC wildlife biologist Barb Almario. “Biologists had set two traps on the property, but the bear bypassed them.”

FWC Officer Howard Jones responded to the scene and said Cash told him he shouted repeatedly at the bear and tried to run him off, but the bear was unfazed and chased the remaining goats until Cash shot him.

“It’s my opinion that Mr. Cash acted responsibly throughout this matter,” Jones said, “and that his killing of this large bear was justified under the circumstances.”

Intentional killing of a black bear in Florida is a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. FWC officers investigate and determine whether a bear-killing is intentional and/or justified on a case-by-case basis. Officers say it’s not always a simple decision, but in cases where there are alternatives to killing the bear, they will make an arrest or file charges.

Florida’s black bear population has expanded in recent years, and the FWC estimates there are 2,500-3,000 animals. As bear numbers have grown, so have the animals’ incursions into backyards, neighborhoods and urban areas.

The FWC database of bear incidents in Florida between Jan. 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2008, documents 334 reports of bears attacking or killing domestic animals and livestock. Over the same period, there were 3,413 complaints about bears in garbage.

Loss of habitat from urban growth and the expansion of the bear population combine to cause bears to make forays into residential areas where they get into garbage, pet foods, birdseed, livestock feed and a host of other high-calorie foods, according to FWC biologists.

“The best way to avoid conflicts with bears is to remove or secure anything that attracts them,” said Dave Telesco, the FWC’s Black Bear Management Program coordinator. “When bears lose their natural fear of people and associate homes with food, there aren’t many good options.”

Anyone wanting to report black bear incidents can contact the FWC’s regional office or the Wildlife Alert Hotline. Information about black bears is available at MyFWC.com/Bear.

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Contact:
Pat Behnke
850-251-2130

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