Seventh bear captured and euthanized following Lake Mary attack

Seven bears have now been trapped and put down in Lake Mary since a woman was attacked in her own driveway on Saturday.

Wildlife officers shot a 250-pound male bear with tranquilizers, then euthanized it overnight, after they said it was aggressive and completely unafraid of them.  On Tuesday afternoon,  FWC officers captured a 200-pound female bear in a garage of a home near the scene of the recent attack.

Officials are worried that someone is intentionally feeding the bears, creating a dangerous situation for those living in the area.
 
“We don’t want to take these bears and put them down.  We’re a conservation agency,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman Greg Workman.  “But we feel, for public safety, we have to because of the way that they’re displaying.”
 
There is still no word on whether one of the bears captured was responsible for Saturday’s attack.
 
“We’re doing all the studies and tests we possibly can, but unfortunately if those tests don’t come back with conclusive evidence, we may not ever know,” Workman added. “Regardless if it was or was not, these bears were considered dangerous, and therefore the decision was made to put [them] down.”
 
FWC officers set three snack-filled traps near where Terri Frana was mauled over the weekend, hoping to lure in bears to determine whether they were dangerous. Workman said the agency is trying to find the major food sources in the Lake Mary neighborhood and figure out whether someone is feeding the animals.  Unsecured trash remains the number one food source.

FWC is asking anyone with information about possible bear feeding to call them at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).  There is a reward for information leading to an arrest.