FL man feeds bear, gets scratched up

[Emily]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 8827.story

Black bear scratches Longwood man
Animal encounter leaves victim with cuts to one of his eyes and nose.

Mike Orlando, assistant bear program coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, baits a bear trap where Ernest Stamm, 49, was knocked to the ground outside his home in The Springs subdivision and suffered lacerations to his eye and nose. (RED HUBER, ORLANDO SENTINEL / December 11, 2009)



By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel
4:19 p.m. EST, December 11, 2009

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A Longwood man faces misdemeanor charges of feeding a bear after one of the animals struck him in the face Thursday night.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the case.

"The suspect is a black bear,'' said spokeswoman Joy Hill late Thursday.

Ernest Stamm, 49, was knocked to the ground outside his home in The Springs subdivision and suffered lacerations to his eye and nose.

He told emergency responders that he had been struck by an animal – he said he didn't know what kind – when he opened his door.

The bear was described as medium-sized at about 200 pounds. Officials, who do not describe the encounter as an attack because they think the bear didn't set out to hurt the man, say black bears are frequently seen in this community because it is connected to their natural habitat.

But their investigation is showing that the animals are particularly attracted to Stamm's property.

"The bottom line is the bears are very familiar with this yard," said Hill.

Officials said they found more bear prints on Stamm's property – and food containers strewn about the yard.

"It possibly looked like chicken containers, like rotisserie chicken," said wildlife Lt. Ben Eason.

It is illegal to feed bears. Stamm faces a second-degree misdemeanor charge. Late Friday afternoon, he had not spoken with wildlife officials.

When rescue crews arrived at his home Thursday night, they took him to Florida Hospital Altamonte, from which he has since been released.

No one answered the phone at Stamm's home Friday afternoon.

Wildlife officials have set a trap for the bear. It will be baited later and if they capture the bear, it will be euthanized.

This is the third such encounter in the general area in the last few months. Hill and other officials emphasized that people avoid doing things that will attract bears, such as leaving out garbage or pet food in areas surrounding their regular habitat.

She said The Springs is definitely one of those communities.

"The Springs is Bear World," Hill said. "Those people are truly living with the bears."

The Springs Community Association said early Friday afternoon that it would not comment on the incident.

Sentinel staff writer Anika Myers Palm contributed to this report

[Emily]

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Injured man charged with feeding bears
Staff report
POSTED: December 18, 2009 Save | Print | Email | Read comments | Post a comment
Fact Box
The FWC actively educates residents about living in bear country through programs, door-to-door canvassing, news releases and festivals. For information on how to live safely in bear country visit MyFWC.com/Bear or call the Ocala office at 352-732-1225.

The Longwood man injured by a black bear a week ago now faces criminal charges for feeding bears.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission law enforcement officers charged Ernest David Stamm, 49, of 104 Wild Plum Lane in The Springs community. His court appearance is Jan. 22 in Seminole County Court.

Stamm was fully cooperative when FWC Officer Steve McDaniel issued him the notice to appear in court at his home late Thursday afternoon.

Florida law makes it illegal to intentionally place food or garbage, allow the placement of food or garbage, or offer food or garbage in such a manner that it attracts black bears, foxes or raccoons.

Around 8 p.m. on Dec. 10, Stamm reported something struck him in his face as he opened his front door. When emergency medical technicians arrived, they were unable to immediately get to Stamm's front door because a bear wouldn't leave the yard. Eventually the bear left, and they transported Stamm to Florida Hospital Altamonte, where he was treated and released with lacerations on his face.

When FWC investigators arrived at Stamm's home that night, they found evidence of food attractants and that bears had been frequent visitors to the yard. After a week-long investigation they took their findings to the state attorney, who agreed to pursue charges.

In this case, the female bear suspected of injuring Stamm was captured and euthanized by FWC biologists. The two cubs she left behind are old enough to survive, although ideally they would have remained with her for another six months.

"This whole, sad situation easily could have been prevented if the bear had been allowed to remain wild," said Dave Telesco, FWC's Bear Management Program coordinator. "Unfortunately, once bears become used to humans and the food they provide, they become bold and unafraid of people, which can lead to situations like this. This is why it is so critical that residents follow our recommendations and do all they can to keep the attractants away from bears. Keep them wild and let them live."

[Emily]

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Don't feed the bears!
Springs man charged with feeding bears
December 18, 2009 5:00 PM
The Longwood man who was injured by a black bear a week ago now faces criminal charges for feeding bears. Thursday, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) law enforcement officers charged Ernest David Stamm, 49, of 104 Wild Plum Lane in The Springs community. His mandatory court appearance is set for Jan. 22 in Seminole County Court.

FWC investigators met with the state attorney’s office in Sanford yesterday prior to issuing Stamm the citation. Stamm was fully cooperative when FWC Officer Steve McDaniel issued him the notice to appear in court at his home late Thursday afternoon.

According to Florida law, it is illegal to intentionally place food or garbage, allow the placement of food or garbage, or offer food or garbage in such a manner that it attracts black bears, foxes or raccoons, and in a manner that it is likely to create or creates a public nuisance.

Around 8 p.m. on Dec. 10, Stamm reported something struck him in his face as he opened his front door. When emergency medical technicians arrived, they were unable to immediately get to Stamm’s front door because of a bear that wouldn’t leave the yard. Eventually the bear left, and they transported Stamm to Florida Hospital Altamonte, where he was treated and released with lacerations on his face.

When FWC investigators arrived at Stamm’s home that night, they found ample evidence of food attractants and that bears had been frequent visitors to the yard. After a week-long investigation they took their findings to the state attorney, who agreed to pursue charges.

Many communities in Florida, including The Springs, are in ideal bear habitat, and bears naturally wander into these neighborhoods in search of food or new territory. But generally, they stay only if they find a consistent source of food that is easy to obtain - food such as garbage, birdseed, pet food, and other human-provided goodies.

Feeding bears is a losing proposition for everyone; it puts humans at greater risk of injury, and it usually results in the bears’ death because of the threat to human safety. In this case, the female bear suspected of injuring Stamm was captured and euthanized by FWC biologists. The two cubs she left behind are old enough to survive, although ideally they would have remained with her for another six months.

“This whole, sad situation easily could have been prevented if the bear had been allowed to remain wild,” said Dave Telesco, FWC’s Bear Management Program coordinator. “Unfortunately, once bears become used to humans and the food they provide, they become bold and unafraid of people, which can lead to situations like this. This is why it is so critical that residents follow our recommendations and do all they can to keep the attractants away from bears. Keep them wild and let them live.”

The FWC actively educates residents about living in bear country through programs, door-to-door canvassing, news releases and festivals. For information on how to live safely in bear country visit MyFWC.com/Bear or call the Ocala office at 352-732-1225.