Doorbell cam shows a bear get a little too close to a Florida home. Then it kept moving
Bears are on the move, and it’s scary stuff.
In Southern California, teenager Hailey Morinico recently grappled with one in her yard as it tried to attack her dogs, in a viral video that hit the Internet Tuesday.
Here in Florida, a black bear is covering ground perilously close to where people live and kids play, according to the Clearwater Police Department.
A doorbell camera captured footage of the hulking animal, prowling around a home early Saturday, police said. The animal then made its way south to the nearby Countryside Recreation Center as well as a condo development called Misty Springs.
“It was gone, or hiding, when our officers arrived,” the police department tweeted, adding that it was then spotted Tuesday morning in Philippe Park, about eight miles away in Safety Harbor. After the sighting, the park promptly shut down.
Now the Pinellas County Parks Department is working with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to track the bear’s comings and goings to make sure people are safe.
Melody Kilborn, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, told the Tampa Bay Times the unwanted visitor appears to be a juvenile. She said young ones sometimes gravitate closer to urban areas to establish independence from their mothers and seek new areas to live. Breeding season starts right around now, in June, and lasts through August.
If you see a black bear, give it ample space. And unlike that brave girl out West (who left the battle with sprained fingers), fighting with one is not recommended. Report sightings to the FWC’s Southwest Regional Office at 863-648-3200.
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 3:39 PM.
