This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

On the eve of Florida’s first state-sponsored bear hunt in more than 20 years, wildlife officials were investigating after a bear attacked a man outside Eastpoint motel.



Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officials said Charles Griffin was walking near the Sportsman’s Lodge Motel and Marina on Friday night when he encountered a bear. He was later released from hospital, after being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Wildlife officials were conducting trapping efforts.

The attack came on the eve of the state’s first bear hunt in more than 20 years. Officials had sold more than 3,200 permits for Saturday’s controversial hunt. The season was set to end after a week, or as soon as the cap of 320 kills is reached.

Protests were planned around the state. Activists said the state should instead focus on trash management and curbing the smell of food in garbage.

Wildlife officials said Florida’s black bear population had grown to 3,500, up from a few hundred in the 1970s, and presented a safety problem.