MIDWAY — The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is investigating two bear attacks that occurred in the Midway area within the past week.
On April 13, a bear attacked and killed a dog on Soundside Drive. Early Tuesday morning another dog was attacked near Ponderosa Drive.
Beckah Nelson, spokesperson for FWC said the second dog had attacked the bear’s face, which led the bear to swatting at the dog before running off.
“(The dog) went to the vet and is going to be OK,” Nelson said.
Yesterday, a biologist was sent to canvas the area. In the evening a trap was set near the attack. The attacks are about two miles apart.
There was a trap set for four days around Soundside Drive, but it was not successful. Residents were told to report anything they saw to FWC and investigators “would go from there.”
If a bear were trapped, it’s unclear what would happen. That’s usually dealt with on a case to case basis, Nelson said.
Statewide, FWC has seen an increase in calls about bears from more than 4,000 to more than 6,000.
“It’s slowly been increasing,” she said.
If you have a nuisance bear in your neighborhood or on your property, call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).
WHAT TO DO:
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Bear attacks dogs, kills one