Community Chat

[Big Joanie]

I am a resident of Florida .. on the West Coast .. the building

going on is unreal ...and we are having water problems as it

is ... so yes animals are losing habitat .... we don't know

who is renting all the apartments going up at 2,500 a month

for a one bedroom ....

What to do ???

[KittySoftPaws]

@Bonjour13  Thank you so much. 

[Cakers3]

This is not the first bear hunt in Florida. The hunt in 2015 overall killed more female bears and cubs than male bears.

Speaking up is one thing. Buying into new developments or even established developments is another issue. Developments have long been encroaching animal habitats especially due to developing more and more into rural areas and areas with little or no human population.

Bears are not pets. Feeding them because they are "cute" encourages them to continue to forage on property where pets and people can be harmed.

The slaughter of any animal is a sin. The killing of wolves from a helicopter no less. The almost total wiping out of the bison population. 

People want their comfortable lives to live where and how and do not give one thought to how their needs will destroy other animal rights.

Then the outrage comes out and will simmer down once the hunt is done.

It will not be the last and not just in Florida.

There are alternatives. Signs and protests - fine.

But what are their proposals for alternative solutions?

Perhaps TPTB need to hear those instead.

I know this post will not be popular. 

You cannot expect to have your lives without realizing consequences for other species and the environment.

[SloopJohnB]

As a native Floridian, I am all too well aware of the congested state of Florida, I'm afraid.  I live only a few miles from the east entrance of "Alligator Alley."  Unfortunately, our powers that be, starting from the local level on up, don't believe in greenspace it seems.  Whenever there is a patch of land, they have to build on it.  Whether it be a shopping center, with not enough parking space, or a residential development, they break ground & start construction on it.

And all the critters, cue Ellie Mae Clampett, have nowhere to scatter to.  Our interstates are virtual parking lots come rush hour.  Takes a long wait to make & get doctor & dental appointments as there are just too many people.  I am the first to admit, I don't know what the solution is, but there is No Room at the Inn.  

Ok, rant over.  

[KittySoftPaws]

@jubilant  This is nature we are talking about and there are many things that are dangerous in it, as well as in the World in general. If you or your children felt threatened, what would you do? And it's not the bears wandering into humans areas now, it's the other way around. When there is unlimitied mass over development, where are they supposed to go? The last hunt that happened here was in 2015. There were rules made and they were broken so badly that they halted it 3 days in. Hunters shooting nursing Mothers and their cubs, baiting, hunting without a license. 

[JeanLouiseFinch]

---

@KittySoftPaws wrote:

@Kachina624  A tragedy for sure. The Man with the Dog was biten, that's it. So one has to ask, if you felt threatened and you had children what would you do? They are doing what is instictive to all of us. The solution is to keep your trash, and animals contained. it's not a solution to kill off the Bears. For that matter, two people were killed recently in the Kissimee by Alligators. Again, very sad abnd a tragedy. They were on canoes in a River during mating season. Should we destroy the Gators as well? The bear hunt IMO is a total land grab under the guise of "safety control" by which developers are responsible for to begin with.

---

That's it?  🤨 

[katie1859]

FLOURIDE May fortify the teeth but

it also causing calcifications in the heart, blood vessels

Look, we have all had it for years so I don't know how to undo 

the damage but we certainly can stop using it

and products with it

which would change the manufacturing market $$$

[conlt]

@KittySoftPaws I live in Florida too and saw the protests, I agree with you. I live in St. Augustine and we had a Bear downtown last week. I am angry, I have lived here for 44 years and the developers have overbuilt this county to the extent that the Bears have no where to go. So we overbuild in their habitat then want to kill them. No way. I am happy that you protested and will contact DeSantis office.

My sister and I always jokingly talk about being protesters in our retired years and my brother-in-law (who is very quite and straight laced) can bail us out of jail. LOL

Thanks for sticking up for the Bears. 

[KittySoftPaws]

@conlt  Thank you my fellow Floridian! For your kind words, kind heart, and for helping the bears by calling our Governor. The protest was peaceful, and I feel confident we reached many people just being there that maybe didn't know what was happening, or maybe inspired them to help make a change, any kind of change. Good people like yourself. As I mentioned, I have never been to a protest, but I felt such a strong pull to do this. God Bless. 

[judy0330]

@KittySoftPaws   Yes -- bird feeders really attract the bears.  Where we live in CT there is an ordinance stating that they are not allowed from April 1 until November 30.  We happen to live in the #1 town for bear sightings.  967 in 2024.  Every year there are more instances of them interacting with people.  There was a case of a bear breaking though the sliding glass door in a home and coming in while 2 children were watching tv.  For the most part though it is peaceful coexistence.  My husband took a video of a bear playing with the children's swing at our next door neighbor's house.  

There has been a lot of back and forth about what to do about the bear issue.  There have been proposals to allow hunting but so far they have been rejected by the state legislature.  I am against hunting -- but honestly have no idea what the solution is.