MAITLAND, Fla., June 22 (UPI) -- A third traffic accident involving black bears has occurred near Maitland in central Florida and officials are wondering what's going on.
The latest accident occurred Saturday on Interstate 4, The Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday. The 230-pound bear was killed and the woman driving the van that hit him was hospitalized for treatment of hand injuries.
Two others happened on or near I-4 in recent months. One of the bears survived and was released in the Ocala National Forest.
The incidents have officials wondering if development is squeezing more of the bears out of their forest habitat, mainly in the Ocala National Forest, into the densely populated area around Orlando, Fla.
"We're still trying to see a recovery of the species," said Laurie Macdonald, director of the Florida Habitat for VBears Campaign. "While there have been some areas where the bears appear to have increased in population, the overall habitat loss in the state is still rapidly continuing."
