House Bill 87, introduced while Hollywood movie Cocaine Bear was in cinemas, has been signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Jason Shoaf, the Republican legislator who proposed the bill, said at the time that it would deal with bears “that are on crack, and they break your door down, and they’re standing in your living room growling and tearing your house apart”.

He added: “When you run into one of these crack bears, you should be able to shoot it, period. And you shouldn’t have to pause or be afraid you’re gonna get arrested or harassed or pay fines. That’s just crazy.”

The bill, which removes penalties for killing bears in self-defence, passed the Florida Senate 24-12 and the Florida House 83-28.