Florida black bears are an important part of our Florida ecosystem, but urban development and human encroachment are pushing bears out of their wooded habitats and into busier areas, risking potentially harmful encounters for both bears and humans alike.

In partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Bear Management Program, our Florida Black Bear Cub Rehabilitation Center, affectionately known as Brody Bear’s Rescue and Rehab, focuses on supporting our native black bear population by taking in orphaned cubs, rehabilitating them, and releasing them into natural habitats across the state.

East Coast Zoological Foundation’s work with this native species began in 2019, when FWC rescued one of our current bear residents, Cheyenne, and brought her to us. Cheyenne, a nuisance bear, was in need of a permanent home and settled well into our Zoo. Our bear family grew a year later when Brody joined us. We nursed Brody back to health after he was found orphaned and ill. He was deemed non-releasable and joined Cheyenne in their Wild Florida habitat. Fellow orphaned cub Betty came along in 2022. She was cared for by our team but deemed non-releasable due to her curiosity for people. We loved the opportunity to care for these special individuals, but we knew we could do even more to help the species across the state.

In August of 2023, we began offering temporary housing and medical care for abandoned, injured or sick cubs brought to us by FWC. In that time, we successfully released 12 cubs to sparsely populated natural habitats across Florida.

Our new rehab space now allows us to care for up to 15 cubs at a time. Our 3,500 square foot facility incorporates natural structures and foliage that mimic the bears’ natural habitat and encourages them to practice their natural behaviors. This curated environment will teach the bear cubs how to care for themselves once they are released back into their natural range.

We limit human interaction with the cubs as much as possible to reduce the likelihood of conflict between bears and people once they return home. Our team monitors our bears remotely through several cameras inside their temporary homes, carefully watching for behaviors like eating, foraging, playing, problem solving, climbing, scent investigation and more. If a cub is injured or the habitats need cleaning, our team will put on a ghillie suit to avoid the cubs becoming acclimated to people.

We are proud to be doing our part to help conserve this incredible Florida species. If you have found a sick, orphaned, injured or dead Florida black bear, contact FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). You can also leave feedback for FWC commissioners regarding their Bear Management Plan here.

You can stay up to date with the latest bear cub antics on our blog.