The bones of numerous dead bears litter a trail in the Seminole State Forest near Seminole Springs, Florida. The animals didn’t pass away there. People brought their carcasses there on function, according to Oviedo Neighborhood News. And this isn’t the only “bear graveyard” in the state, either. But why?
Eric Orvieto, a reporter for Oviedo Neighborhood News, reports on the Florida Wildlife Passage and how it affects regional communities. For the very first short article of a three-part series on this topic, Orvieto checks out the bear graveyard in Seminole State Forest, reporting that the bones are intentionally discarded there by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Preservation Commission (FWC).
“Scattered throughout the open field and into the trees lay countless bear bones: large leg bones, pelvic bones, vertebrae, skull bones and more. Hundreds of them,” Orvieto writes. “There are even, at times, whole bear carcasses.”
Image thanks to Katrina Shadix, Bear Warriors United Hundreds of bears pass away each year in Florida, and Orvieto reports that the majority of those bears end up at sites like this. The idea is that by positioning dead bears in designated wilderness areas, the carcasses naturally decay and offer food for other species.
Apparently, there are “dozens of similar sites” around the state– graveyards for not just bears but likewise for other animals, such as deer. While the graveyards are odd and grotesquely interesting, the overarching question is really not “why exist bear graveyards in Florida?” It’s “why are these bears passing away in the first location?”
The answer is humans.
Preserving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Many bear deaths in Florida occur on roads. Orvieto infers that human advancement in general threatens wildlife, consisting of bears, and creates the requirement for graveyards like the one he checked out in Seminole State Forest.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor was a fantastic advance, however some wonder if it’s enough. The corridor incorporates nearly 18 million acres of contiguous wilderness. It was set aside after the Florida Wildlife Passage Act ended up being law in 2021. However, companies like Florida-based Bear Warriors United say the law has “no regulatory teeth.” Bear Warriors United advocates for extra legislation to preserve the wildlife passage and close critical loopholes.
Katrina Shadix of Bear Warriors United initially found out about the bear graveyards from a confidential letter. The hand-written note included GPS collaborates to an area filled with numerous bear carcasses and bones. Shadix examined and talked with a member of FWC’s bear-management group who confirmed it was indeed a bear graveyard.
In a November 2023 Facebook post from that day, Shadix composed:” [He] was disturbed that day since the FWC had simply gathered 4 dead bears in 24 hours, all victims of being hit and killed by vehicles on Florida roadways. He stressed the significance for Dept of Transportation constructing more wildlife under/over passes, and wished that the Florida state lawmakers would assign cash for safe wildlife passes.”
Have you become aware of bear graveyards in Florida or anywhere else?
There’s a bear graveyard in Florida’s Seminole State Forest. The animals didn’t pass away there, so why are their bones there?