Bear remains in Hillsborough neighborhood, goes up 2nd tree
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A bear was spotted running amok in Tampa, first seen early Saturday morning, deputies said.
In a 10 p.m. update, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the bear did leave the tree for a while in the afternoon, but later returned to a different tree.
“I never seen a bear ever in my life, especially in Florida, and I have been here seven years, and it is surreal,” a resident who lived in the area said.
3 hospitalized after Pinellas Park DUI crash, police say
Officials said they set up two traps and will remain on patrol in the area, in hopes the bear will wander back down Saturday night, or sometime in the morning.
Bear remains in Tampa neighborhood (NBC/Telemundo photo)
FWC said it is not unusual to see a Florida black bear around this time of year.
“Bears have a tendency in late spring to early summer to start looking for mates to travel some from wherever their homebase is,” an FWC officer said.
A Facebook post by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said a black bear was spotted running through an apartment complex on Tampa Shores Boulevard.
Deputies responded to the bear call, and video showed the bear wandering in the neighborhood, eventually wandering into a residential neighborhood.
The FWC said the same bear was later spotted up a tree in Town ‘N Country as trappers worked to relocate it.
While feeding bears is usually a bad thing, trappers have set up treats and pastries in a cage to lure it down.
“We’re doing this solely for the purpose of doing a live trap,” an FWC officer said.
Once the bear is caught, FWC said the bear will be relocated to Ocala National Forest.
“When you see a bear in the wild, you want to keep a distance, until it knows it is kind of safe,” the officer added.
If you see any bears in your area, call the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200 or the FWC.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.
