Oppose the Florida Black Bear Hunt

The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an amicus brief in support of a petition to enjoin an impending trophy hunt of Florida black bears.

Updated

October 1, 2016

Work Type

Litigation

Status

Completed

Next Step

Case Closed

In 2015, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission authorized the killing of 320 black bears in the first Florida black bear hunt allowed in the state since 1994. A group called Speak Up Wekiva, Inc. and Florida resident Charles W. O’Neal brought an emergency motion in state court to stop the hunt.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund filed an amicus brief in support of the petition, along with a coalition of other animal protection and environmental groups. The brief argued that the unpopular hunt was likely to cause irreparable harm to the black bear population, since the commission had not established a reliable reporting mechanism and its “quota” of 320 bears was a meaningless safeguard.

Circuit Judge George Reynolds denied the emergency motion on October 1, 2015. The bear hunt proceeded later that month.

Thanks to the massive public outcry against the 2015 bear hunt, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission canceled the bear hunt in 2016. The Commission said it would also not hold hunts in 2017 or 2018.

End Wildlife Services’ War on Wildlife

Millions of native wild animals, including coyotes, mountain lions, and bears, are targeted and killed by Wildlife Services. Tell Wildlife Services to stop using your tax dollars to slaughter animals by signing our petition.

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