SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
Dennis Booth knew it was war when bears began repeatedly ripping through the garbage cans in front of his Seminole County house. After the first few times, he began working on a way to lock the black bears out of his trash. He started tinkering with his garbage cans, coming up with different ways to make them bear proof.
"There were some hits and misses." Booth says.
After several failed attempts, he came up with a design he now calls "The Growler Can." It's a heavy-duty can fitted with metal rods, plates and even latches made of bullet-proof, and virtually unbreakable, Lexan.
To see if they could really stand up to a bear beating, Booth sent two of this cans out west to the "Living with Wildlife Foundation." There the cans were videotaped as two giant grizzly bears tried to tear them apart to get at the salmon and peanut butter placed inside. After 60-minutes of trying, the bears were unsuccessful and Booth's business was born.
He's been selling "The Growler Cans" via the web, at TheGrowlerCan.com, for about a year and a half now. There are different types that retail from $179 to $229.
Booth says, "I figured that I could outsmart the bear, and I feel that I have."
