Bears going bald, look like ' large rats'
OCALA NATIONAL
FOREST, Fla. - Many
black bears in central
Florida are going bald. A
veterinarian says bears
with a unique type of
mange are losing their
hair and wind up looking
"like a large, bald rat."
Biologists say more than
half the black bears
living in Marion County
forests have the illness.
Biologists say it's the only
place in the country to
report such a large
proportion of balding
bears.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservations Commission veterinarian says tiny mites
attack the bears' skin, causing the hair to fall out. Some bears just lose fur around the
face or rump, but the worst cases end up fully bald.
The vet says there don't seem to be any other health effects beyond hair loss.
Associated Press
Dec. 10, 2002 03:35 PM
Return to Reality Carnival.