Bears and coyotes and raccoons, oh my!
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As Florida’s population expands, state wildlife officials have seen a more than 33 percent increase in calls for assistance related to wild animals during the past five years, according to a presentation that could go before the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission this week.
While no proposed changes are recommended to the agency’s Wildlife Assistance Program, the discussion comes as legislation awaits action by Gov. Ron DeSantis that would bolster self-defense arguments for people who kill bears on their property.
The presentation — tentatively on the agenda as the commission prepares to meet Wednesday and Thursday at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach — outlines how Florida’s growing human population is coinciding with an increase in people interacting with wildlife.
Read: Florida Senate approves shooting bears in self-defense
While calls include sightings and interactions involving animals such as bobcats, foxes, bats, raptors and snakes, Lisa Thompson, a spokeswoman for the …