HAVANA, Fla. ( News Service of Florida ) - Despite pleas from animal-rights advocates, Florida wildlife officials on Wednesday approved holding a 23-day bear hunt in December that could lead to 187 bears being killed.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved rules for the state’s first bear hunt in more than a decade. The hunt will take place in four regions of the state and use a lottery process for hunters to obtain permits.

Opponents announced plans to quickly file a lawsuit to fight the hunt, contending the commission hasn’t followed its own rules about the need to follow a science-based approach.

“They haven’t taken into consideration habitat loss for these animals, and they (bears) should actually be recognized as an endangered species,” Raquel Levy, of the

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