Florida Wildlife Officials Euthanize Mother Black Bear

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ Wildlife officials say they captured and euthanized a mother black bear after she became increasingly brazen in her efforts to obtain human-provided food.

Two 100-pound cubs captured with her on Nov. 29 were released on Eglin Air Force Base property in the Florida Panhandle.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials say the cubs were no long dependent on their mother.

The Northwest Florida Daily News (http://bit.ly/WGoJot ) reports wildlife officials say the bear had lost her natural fear of humans.

Officials say the bear had recently become “more bold and protective of her cubs.”

They say both the mother and cubs were larger than bears reliant on food found in nature.

The mother bear weighed about 250 pounds.

The bears apparently had easy access to trash in the neighborhood.