Seminole County urges residents to secure trash amid bear sightings

A bear that walked off an Amazon package from a Longwood front porch has become the clearest example yet of why Seminole County is pressing residents to secure their trash and clear away anything that can draw wildlife into neighborhoods. County officials issued the reminder after a recent uptick in black bear sightings across the county this summer.

The message is simple: do not leave easy food sources in driveways, on porches or beside garages, and do not feed bears. Seminole County wants residents to bring trash containers in when possible, make sure lids are tight and stay alert outdoors so a bear does not get comfortable around homes, cars or patios. The problem is not that bears are new to Seminole County. It is that suburban growth has pushed people and wildlife closer together, and bears will keep moving through neighborhoods when food is easy to find.

The county’s bear program was built for that reality. Seminole County created an Urban Bear Management Area with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the county’s urban bear ordinance was adopted on Dec. 8, 2015. County materials say the Urban Bear Management Caution Zone is a small area east of I-4, and residents are told to report human-bear conflicts to FWC at 352-732-1225 or online as soon as possible. The county also says it does not require every resident to buy a bear-resistant container, even as it promotes them as one tool for reducing conflict.

The Longwood sighting made the warning feel personal. A Ring doorbell camera captured the bear in February 2026 while the homeowners were away camping, and the animal reportedly carried off an Amazon package that contained cell phone charging cords. It was a small theft, but one that showed how quickly a porch can turn into a wildlife stop when people leave attractants within reach.

Statewide, the larger bear picture helps explain why Seminole County is taking the issue seriously. FWC estimates Florida has about 4,050 black bears, up from several hundred in the 1970s, and says bear range had shrunk to about 18% of its historic footprint by the mid-1970s. The species was classified as threatened from 1974 through 2012 before being considered recovered.

Seminole County’s own Black Bear Wilderness Area in northwest Seminole County covers about 1,600 acres of habitat used by Florida black bears. Nearby cities are adjusting too, with Altamonte Springs saying it will continue collecting bear-resistant containers that meet IGBC standards. The county’s warning now fits a broader Central Florida pattern: as neighborhoods spread closer to wetlands, rivers and green space, officials are focusing on trash, feeding habits and quick reporting to keep both people and bears safer.