The residents of a neighborhood in Tampa were not expecting such an unusual visitor at dawn this Saturday: a black bear wandering freely through an apartment complex on Tampa Shores Boulevard, and then heading to another neighborhood in Town 'n' Country, in the same Hillsborough County, where it perched in a tree while authorities searched for a way to catch it.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported that the black bear was first seen running through a residential complex in Tampa before officers arrived at the scene on Saturday morning.
However, the animal headed to a neighborhood in Town 'n' Country, where it climbed a tree and stayed there for the rest of the day, yawning and looking at the people who were watching it.
The trappers placed muffins and other pastries in a cage to lure and capture him alive, but the bear was not fooled.
According to reports from the press, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed in a statement at 10 p.m. on Saturday that the bear left the tree for a while in the afternoon, but later returned and climbed a different tree.
Finally, he came back down on Sunday morning and, avoiding the traps that had been set for him, he continued his journey in an unknown direction.
The FWC indicated that its staff have placed several traps to relocate it to a safer location, probably the Ocala National Forest.
"Our bear biologists are monitoring the situation," the institution stated. "It is best to allow the bears to move on their own. However, due to this bear's difficulty in finding its way, FWC staff have set traps to help relocate it safely."
The experts explained that black bears usually become active in the spring, and the younger ones are looking for territory, according to a report by WFLA.
During this time, people are advised not to feed the bears and to safely secure any food source in order to keep them away from human populations.
The FWC warned residents that if they see the bear, they should avoid it and call the Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). Likewise, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office asked the public to stay alert and report any sightings to 813-247-8200.
In Florida, the presence of bears in residential areas has been reported in the recent past.
In mid-July 2023, authorities in Homestead used donuts to lure and trap a black bear that had been wandering around a neighborhood in that city, in Miami-Dade, for over 24 hours, where the population was terrified.
Another one of these mammals stole an Uber Eats order from the porch of a house in Longwood, in Orlando, moments after the driver delivered it.
An adult specimen spent the night at the entrance of a house in Naples, and its peaceful and carefree nap was captured by the security cameras of the homeowners.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under:
