Surprise Visitor at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center!

Guests and staff at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center were in for quite a surprise recently when a Florida black bear was seen (numerous times) wandering through the grounds! One day the bear even stopped to snack from a bird feeder outside the administrative office and literally tore it down before continuing his stroll around the building and back into the woods.

To ensure everyone’s safety, new signage has been posted in the parking lot alerting guests to recent bear activity in the area. While sightings are exciting, it’s also a reminder that bears are wild animals and should always be admired from a safe distance.

Florida black bears are native to Florida and play an important role in the ecosystem. As development continues to encroach on their natural habitat, bears sometimes venture closer to neighborhoods and public areas in search of food. Late summer and fall are especially active times for them because of a natural phenomenon called hyperphagia. This is a period when bears eat almost nonstop to build up fat reserves for the winter months.

During hyperphagia, a bear’s daily calorie intake can jump from around 5,000 to as much as 20,000 calories! They’ll forage up to 20 hours a day, feasting on a diet that’s about 80% plant material such as berries, nuts and palm fruits, along with insects and the occasional animal carcass.

Rookery Bay staff and volunteers are advising visitors to give animals plenty of space and observe from a distance and never feed wildlife (even bird feeders).