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Cooler temperatures throughout Florida are keeping black bears more active.

The bears are stocking up on calories for the winter. And that can mean more chance for bear- human interaction.

“They’re trying to find that meal,” says Greg Workman of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“If they can’t find the natural foods like your acorns, different vegetation and things, they’ll seek out and find an easy food source and unfortunately that could be someone’s garbage or something that was left out by humans.”

Workman says people need to be aware of their surroundings, supervise pets and children while outdoors, and keep bear attractants- like garbage- secured.

Earlier this month the FWC captured and euthanized a bear in the Lake Mary neighborhood, after it bit a woman on the arm.

Lake Mary is part of the FWC’s Central Bear Management Unit.

“That unit has the most concentrated bear populations in the state of Florida, and of course its one of our most populated areas in that unit,” says Workman, who adds it’s an area of concern for the FWC.

He says for the most part, residents are getting the message about how to reduce conflicts with bears.